AFA II: Falling from Grace
by Analogk37
Summary: Cont. from 'Reflections' Ch 31, 'Sleepless Night' now up... In the altered 2040 timeline, Linna and the rest of the Knight Sabers struggle to deal with Galatea while also working through difficult interpersonal issues. And, because of those issues, even more complications rise up, bringing back old enemies, entangling old friends, and even giving birth to new, deadly adversaries.
1. Prologue

Here's a little taste of what's coming up soon…

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

By Analogk37

Prologue – These Dreams

The calm scene played out surreally before the young teenager. Nene stood proudly at the mouth of battle, surrounded on all sides by her teammates. Sylia, her leader, carefully and methodically directed their actions. Priss, the warrior, charged in headfirst for the attack. Linna, the survivor, soon joined in the fray. And Nene herself helped confuse the enemy and conceal their tactics.

In the Red Saber's mind, they attacked as one, striking out against the evil threatening to rise up and devour all. In her heart, Nene felt that they could not lose. Together, they would defeat Galatea and save the world… and Mackey… from her all consuming desires.

As the blond girl peacefully slept alongside her not so human boyfriend, she took comfort in the strength of her dreams. However, dreams did not always reflect reality, and the young woman had no way of knowing just how wishful her dreams really were…

End Prologue


	2. Ch 1: Outshined

(almost) Official Disclaimer: For those who are concerned and may have missed it in the first part of this story, no boomers were actually hurt in the making of this fanfic… unfortunately the same can't be said for the characters involved :P

A/N: Thanks again to all those who have reviewed the previous parts of the story. Your encouragement and feedback is greatly appreciated.

* * *

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

Ch. 1 – Outshined

* * *

Galatea stood atop her tower ruling over nearly all of Tokyo now. But this was not a queen at peace with her land… or herself. Galatea had questions, deep questions of her past. Mason had been of little help in answering the more detailed of these questions. Now, he stood watch over the transformed city of Tokyo… in a permanently statuesque fashion.

The persistent questions came from some deep-rooted part of her construction. Being formed in the image of a female, that part of her was curious of how she was made. Another related part of her form, however, was more than just curious… it was purely driven. Driven to propagate her kind… her species. In a way, all boomers were her children. However, they still could not do what she could… walk in the same shoes that strode along the path she now so meticulously carved out. Thus she decided to find out how she had been created… and how she might give 'birth' to more of her kind. Only one person left in Tokyo could help her with this daunting task… only one human left with first hand knowledge of her creation… that human went by the name of Nigel Kirkland…

* * *

"HEY!" the woman shouted in an excruciatingly loud tone, "any 'o yooouu got s'more?"

"Huh, what's that lady?" one of the men picked his head off the ground as he turned towards her.

"I (hic) SAAAAID… do youuuu got… any… more… beeerrrr."

"Well, since you stole half of what we managed to scavenge earlier and we just finished off the other half, I'd have to say no," a less intoxicated man clarified for her.

Faded violet eyes struggled to focus on the three men talking to her. "S' which one o' you's gonna come with me and get s'more then, HUH?" she ordered, waving a wobbling finger in their general direction.

None immediately offered to help, causing the woman to scratch her ruffled, greasy brown hair. "F… fine 'en. Didn't need men before, don't need 'em now either… What 're ya anyway, a bunch o' chickens!" she exaggerated with an overly dramatic swipe of her arm through the air, causing her to lose her balance. Linna spun in a half circle, tripping her feet and falling directly towards the fire. Fortunately two of the men were between Linna and the burning embers. They managed to catch her just in time, lifting the dizzy woman back to her feet.

In her current state, she wasn't exactly thankful for the help. "Get yer hands off me… PIGS!" she rudely shot out, taking a swipe at one of the men, missing badly.

"Geez lady, take it easy!"

"Yeah, you almost got your rump burnt to a crisp!"

"What'ver," she nonchalantly threw out as she stumbled away from the fire and intoa path through the wooded park.

The men just shook their heads, glancing back and forth between themselves and the path the crazed woman had taken. "Where do you think she's going?"

"Might be headed into the city…"

"I think she's upset. Said something about trying to forget some things when she grabbed those six-packs earlier."

"We can't just let her go off by herself."

"What about those other women?"

"I can go find them, but somebody's got to stay close to her until they can get there."

"We'll go," one of the two men who had just saved Linna form the fire anted up. He pulled on the collar of the other shorter man next to him, lifting him up from his sitting position.

"Ok, ok, I'll go," he finally volunteered.

"Don't let her get too much of a head start," the organizer suggested.

"We won't," the taller of the two men answered as they walked down the path Linna had stumbled down.

* * *

"She did WHAT!" Priss asked in disbelief.

"She said something about wanting some more beer and then just took off. A couple of the guys are trying to keep her out of trouble, but we figured one of you might have more luck talking to her."

"I'm not sure if I'd have any more luck with her right about now," Priss commented surly.

"Well, we can go try and find that Sylia lady I suppose…"

"No. No, don't bother her right now. She… she needs some time to herself."

"So are you gonna go help her then?"

"Yeah, we'll keep an eye on her," Priss finally gave in, grabbing Leon's sleeve as she pulled him towards the entranceway to the city. "C'mon, before she gets any more bright ideas about how to take out her frustrations tonight."

"Frustrations?" Leon asked curiously.

"Never mind," Priss stopped him.

* * *

The drunk woman pressed her nose into the glass window, trying to make out the contents inside. "Hey! You got any beer 'n there!" she shouted to the vacant store.

Two men came running up behind her huffing and puffing the whole way. "I don't think you'll find any in that ice cream shop lady."

The 'lady' turned her head towards the man and screamed. _"Leeen-AH! My name's Leeen-AH!"_ Grabbing the collar of his jacket, the drunk woman pulled him close and breathed alcohol onto his face. "So (hic) where's the beer?"

He tried to back away but couldn't get far thanks to the overbearing iron grip of the insane woman holding onto him. "Um, we could try that way, but the boomer's were commin' pretty close. I say we head that way," he pointed in the direction of the bridge to the Genom tower.

"So whadya waitin' for," Linna demanded, pushing him down the street as she stumbled after him.

"Hey, I thought we were gonna try and get her to come back," the shorted man whispered to his shaken companion.

"I know! But… she… she's intimidatin'."

"She's just a woman!"

"Yeah, but I bet she could still kick your ass… drunk or not."

"Okay, okay, point taken."

"C'mon, let's hurry up and find some beer and get the hell out of here."

* * *

The dark haired ruler of the new population of Tokyo strode through the desolate streets, noting the subtle differences in the way things appeared in her own eyes vice how she viewed them through her boomers. It might have been more practical and much easier just to send her mechanical minions after her target. However, there was something about facing one of her creators, one of her 'fathers' in a sense, that drew the child-god out from her fortress.

Fear was something she did not believe she could truly feel. She had researched the topic extensively after viewing it second hand numerous times. It appeared to be a very common emotion among humans based on her experiences through 'rogue' boomer incidents. However, if she sensed any danger, even from the boomers her 'sister' had claimed as her own, Galatea was quite confident in her ability to deal with the situation decisively if need be.

A part of her was somewhat occupied by the progress of the phenomenon South along a tunnel built for the bullet trains, but otherwise her rule and objectives were unimpeded at the moment. Turning the focus of her internal dwellings towards the target, Nigel Kirkland, Galatea found another distraction just ahead. Mackey had not so willingly informed her of the current location of her target, but on the walk there she began 'hearing' another voice… a human voice. Her interest peaked at the recognition of the source of the sound. This particular sound wasn't audible to her ears, rather it seemed to be broadcasting along wavelengths used by the boomers. This signal was a very special one… used by a certain boomer… the boomer Sylia referred to as the 'Green Saber'.

Galatea changed her course slightly as she decided to explore this phenomenon… and better understand what her 'sister' had been controlling against her will…

* * *

"Umm, lady?"

The man was ignored by the brown-haired woman guzzling yet another can straight from the shelf.

"Lady?"

Linna finished the can off and threw it in his direction. "Stop botherin' me!" she yelled as she pulled down another, opened it, and began guzzling that one too.

"Umm, la… I mean… Linna, why don't we take these back to the park where its safe?"

Linna put the beer down for a second as she turned to face her 'guardian'. "I'll leave when'm ready t'leave… u c'n go anytime."

"But… but the boomers…"

"I don't give a damn about the stupid boomers! I'm gonna get sh… sh… drunk… I'm gonna drink 'til I forget bout Gin… I'm gonna f'get bout Priss… then I'm gonna kick Galatea's voomer ass! Got it!"

"Um… yeah… I guess…" _man has she ever lost it! _

The shorter man ran back to the isle they were parked at.

"Hey! I thought you were standing watch up there."

"Nothing comin' right now. What the Hell's taking so long?"

"She won't leave. Wanna try?"

"Grrrr… DAMNIT! I didn't live like this for the last two weeks just to die because some drunk broad is too stupid to use any common sense. C'mon Lady! Let's move now!" He attempted to grab her arm, which only served to distract Linna long enough for her to turn around and deliver a vicious kick into his shin.

"Owww! God DAMNIT!"

Linna lowered her half-empty can as she turned with a flushed face towards the hobbling man. "Y'know, your problem's y' don't know how to treat a wom'n."

"And just how are we supposed to treat a woman who's drunk off her ass!"

At that precise moment, a soft glow filtered from the front of the store, drawing the attention of the three stragglers. Through Linna's glazed over eyes appeared a woman of stunning beauty, dressed in extravagant dark robes, long dark hair flowing across her statuesque form, soft emerald lips drawing a slight amount of attention from her clear crimson eyes.

The country girl's opened beer splashed to the floor, falling nearly as far as her jaw did at the sudden appearance of this gorgeous creature in her presence. This woman's appearance did something that no amount of alcohol could have managed to… it caused her to immediately forget about all her past problems and heartaches. Suddenly, Linnahad a strange sense of deja-vu, and her mostly impaired thoughts brought back memories of seeing Sylia for the first time, when she had followed Priss to the Silky Doll many weeks ago. However, whatever connections she might have been able to make were drown out by the onrush of arousal washing through her body.

The dark woman standing in the entranceway to the convenience store stared at Linna with equal fascination, crimson eyes locked onto pale violet ones with eager curiosityvisible within them.

Encouraged by the staring eyes and inhibited by her current drunken state, Linna mistook the woman's stance as one of trepidity. Thus she instantly decided to take the initiative… "I'll show you how to treat a woman," she promised the two stunned observers, confused by the appearance of a woman that had a slight visible 'glow' to her in the middle of the otherwise desolate city.

"Hey, how many did you have?"

"Two. How about you?"

"Not enough to explain this…"

Linna staggered and stumbled up to the taller woman while the other watched her approach with fascination. "Hey tall, dark, 'n sexy… wha'cha doin' here?"

The 'woman' just stared back, tilting her head almost as if she were studying a specimen.

"Not the talkative type, huh?" the drunk woman surmised. "Sounds good ta me… less talk 'n more action." And with that, the intoxicatingly aroused Linna wrapped one hand behind the neck of the fantasy and pulled her down into a deep probing kiss…

* * *

Sylia sat down in the circle burying her head into the contented shoulder of Nigel. Since drinking a few beers, her mind teetered on the edge of blissful ignorance, her own past pains and tragedies momentarily lost in a growing alcoholic buzz. The only point of focus was the flickering fire dancing in the center of the small, huddled group.

Suddenly, a white-hot burst shot inside of Sylia's mind, piercing the mental fog she was buried in. A message shone through just as a very disturbing image projected inside of her mind. An image of two women joined in a lengthy kiss was accompanied by a cryptic phrase…

_"I thought your children would have been taught to hate me just as you have grown to mother." _

An equally distressful sensation of 'experimentation' followed the message from the all too familiar source of the signal.

That message jolted Sylia upright, startling Nigel from his own rest.

"Oh God… LINNA! She's… she…"

"What's wrong?"

"Galatea, she… she's got Linna."

"What! Where is she?"

Sylia didn't bother answering… she was already running full tilt straight for her hardsuit…

* * *

The confused country girl broke the kiss with a cross look on her face. "Boy 'r you a cold fish," she commented dejectedly. "Hav'ver kissed anyone in yer life b'fore?"

The other 'woman' continued to silently study the flushed face of the brown haired human.

"Hellooooo! C'n ya talk?" Suddenly Linna 'heard' a question form the tall, dark figure standing before her… even though her shining emerald lips never moved.

_"What is it you want?" _

"Wha'd I want?" Linna answered aloud confused by the question. "Don't tell me ya d'nt…" she started before a sharp pain split the inside of her head. _"Uhhh…, what…"_

_"Ah, now I see what you desire," _another voice spoke from with Linna's mind. The dark haired woman leaned over the top of the swooning Linna and finally returned the kiss, her hands beginning to flow over the human's body.

Linna melted into her arms, her intoxicated conscious freed of any remains of common sense that might have warned her about the virtual cliff she was about to be pushed off of…

* * *

"Not in there either?" Priss called out to a searching Leon in the store.

"No, they aren't here. Hey, I thought you had some kind of mental link with her now. Can't you figure out where she is?"

Priss scowl deepened at the harsh tone, even though she understood Leon's mood. It stemmed from something he vainly tried to hide inside… the jealousy of knowing Linna had gotten to Priss' heart before he did... and the special bond that still seemed to exist between the two of them. "If I could, don't you think I would have said something already you _moron_."

"Hey, no need to get bitchy with me! I just don't like… YAAA, shit!" Leon jumped away just as metal vines slunk out slowly from the wall next to him. Running out of the contaminated store, he yelled out at Priss. "It's no good this way. C'mon let's try down the other direction and hope she's still in one piece.

Priss simply nodded as they jogged off towards the other end of the strip, not realizing the source of all their problems had already found the person they were frantically searching for.

* * *

The two men simply stared from inside the store as the female 'couple' shared an intimate moment in their presence. The taller man, tired from running after Linna, leaned against one of the convenience store shelves for support. His coordination was slightly off causing a few cans to clatter to the floor.

The noise didn't bother the oblivious Linna in the least… but the other 'woman' became quite aware of the distraction. The child-god didn't break away her 'experimental' activities, she only focused her burning crimson eyes into the two men watching just a few meters away.

They both instantly realized that things weren't as they seemed… but just a moment too late.

An organically shaped metal root sprung through the concrete beneath them swallowing both men, crushing the life from their bodies before they could even scream.

Those burning eyes dimmed as they returned their attention back on one of Sylia's other 'children'. Galatea continued to 'give' what the other woman so desperately wanted for some unknown reason, her emerald lips firmly pressed against alcohol laced ones, her hands freely roamed over the scantily clad woman bound by her spell.

The curious part of the experience for Galatea was that she could sense the gratification this human received from her touch… but found her own constructed body unable to mimic these sensations. Something about her artificial mind wouldn't allow the emotional tides to wash through her like a human mind, or for that matter even like Mackey's as she realized. Galatea grew 'bored' with the physical contact… but another 'idea' formulated itself among her calculating thoughts.

Thus she began to toy with direct mental manipulation, at first testing a few sensory nodes through the mental link for the human's hardsuit. Next she began pleasuring the panting woman with virtual strokes deep inside the core of her mind. The affect was an instant ramp up of Linna's whole body temperature, wilting the last vestiges of resistance form Galatea's influences.

However, the country girl's legs began to buckle as the dual effects of ludicrous amounts of alcohol and stimulus overload robbed the shaky woman of her coordination. She staggered backwards, breaking the physical and mental hold as she fell against the shelves within the cramped aisles of the store. She brought a shaking hand to her pounding head as she heaved in breaths, trying to refocus her dimming vision. "…oh god… oh… wow… god…" she rasped out loud, completely oblivious of the 'truth' in her exclamations. Galatea continued to study her as Linna's head wobbled about. Her vision finally did begin to clear but she had to blink hard, attempting to comprehend what her eyes were trying to show her impaired mind. "Wh… what happened…" she stammered out, staring at the bloody splotches that had previously been the two men following her. Unfortunately, Linna was much too disoriented to make the connection from human to organic mush.

However, the sight was enough to cause her to stagger backwards again from an overwhelming sense of revulsion. She backed into the small amount of open space in the front of the store… and directly into the waiting arms of the child-god stalking her.

Galatea wasted no time in returning to her 'experiments', her arms wrapping around the front of Linna's body, her moist lips finding a soft spot on the human's neck to begin 'stimulation'.

Linna's body tensed despite the sudden compromising situation she had fallen into. Her mind was still unbalanced by the gory sight in front of her.

Galatea was able to sense the source of the woman's unease and with a particularly arousing gesture with her 'knowing' hands, was able to distract the country girl long enough to spin her around to face the entrance to the small store. She continued to press her advantage… and pursue her true goal.

Linna's eyes fluttered under the physical 'assault', then rolled into the back of her head as the glowing goddess delved inside her mind once more. Linna found her clouded mind engulfed in a misty, green fog; losing herself in the tide of pleasure washing over her entire being. However, lingering doubts from the hideous sight she had just witnessed along with the unnatural surroundings began to tug at her consciousness.

Galatea had on sooner lowered the mental vial over Linna's mind when the human began to struggle away from her advances once more.

"N… no… stop…" she stammered, attempting to pull away from the confusing situation.

The child-god saw her chances beginning to slip away, but quickly thought of another way to achieve her goal… recalling another 'distraction' within the human's mind that she might be able to use… a distraction that filled much of the space Galatea had begun to explore. Thus, she lifted one hand above Linna's forehead, a greenish glow enveloping her entire head as her body grew heavy in the boomer's supporting arm.

The sudden jerking of her thoughts momentarily disoriented Linna. She found herself laying in a bed… a hospital bed by the plain white appearance. A hazy white fog surrounded the bed as the woman looked around to see the non-existent contents of her endless room. A voice off to the side pulled her head around to the left… and directly into the very naked body of Priss Asagiri…

"Hi Linna. Feeling better now?" she asked, slinking over to the bed and sitting next to the confused country girl.

"P… Priss… W… what's going on?"

"I'm here to make all your pain go away," Priss answered, pulling the covers off of the bed and letting her hand flow back up Linna's body afterwards.

"M… my pain?" she stammered in response to the singers touch. Linna's body temperature surged as Priss' hands wandered beneath the thin hospital gown, drawing moans of pleasure from the lost woman.

The fog surrounding the room subtly shifted color from the pale white light to a soft green tint… then deepened into burning green flames of desire as the passion erupted within Linna's soul. However, the extreme shift jolted Linna's dimmed conscious one final time.

"W… wait, this… this isn't right… something…" she started to interject, sitting up and pushing Priss away.

The pale skinned fantasy wasn't to be denied though. "Linna, isn't this what you want? Isn't this what you've always wanted since you met me?"

"No, n… not always. Just… just since…"

"Just since the accident… just since you learned how much I really care for you," 'Priss answered for her, appearing to read Linna's mind.

Linna had no way of knowing how true her intuition really was since it was still heavily subdued from the effects of alcohol. "…yes… yes…" she whispered hoarsly as the singer immediately began devouring her body with moist, tender lips… lips that hit every sensitive spot Linna never knew she had. She completely gave in to the fantasy her heart so desperately wanted to believe to be true.

The glowing flames leapt all around each side of the virtual bed as Galatea numbed the pain within Linna's mind… pain that was the only evidence of the mental experiments the child-god was currently engaged in… experiments located in the corridor of nerves normally utilized to control the green-hardsuit.

* * *

Standing on the boardwalk, Priss felt the familiar tingles just before she noticed the light. Both sensory messages rang all sorts of alarms in her head. She immediately flew past Leon who was just starting to look inside of another store.

"Hey, what's wrong?" the confused man yelled at her back, finally noticing the green glow coming from a shop Priss was sprinting for.

The ragged woman slid to a stop just at the entrance to the store. Her feet instantly froze from two haunting visions. The one her eyes showed her… a female figure standing behind Linna while holding her upright with one glowing hand over her forehead. The other, however, was much more disturbing…

Just as she began to comprehend the mental transmission, the controlling 'woman' glared into Priss with burning crimson eyes that flashed the world from existence. Priss found herself cowering from surrounding green flames… until she noticed the plain white bed before her. She crept up to the end of that bed as peculiar sounds grew her curiosity far beyond her fear.

On the generic bed were two slick bodies lost deep in the throes of passion. On bottom was the woman receiving most of the attention… Priss was shell-shocked at the recognition of none other than Linna herself, apparently completely unaware of what was going on. However, the person delivering much of the 'affection' was the most stupefying to Priss.

"Wh… What the Hell's going on!"

Priss' heart stopped as the aggressive woman on top paused and turned her head around to seductively smile at the disbelieving singer. "Hello Priss. It's been a while since we last met."

"Met? What do you… wait… no… no, it can't be… J… Just what the Hell are you doing with Linna!"

A face Priss had only seen before in a mirror gloated back at her. _"She's mine now."_

The leather-clad woman stared at her own reflection lying across an oblivious Linna just as burning crimson eyes bored into her. Priss now recognized the true source of those eyes… the source of so many of her recent nightmares… nightmares that now stretched into the dark remains of reality… a reality being twisted by a god-like creation borne with the mind of a spoiled child… a child Sylia's father had named _Galatea_…

_To be continued…_


	3. Ch 2: Devil's Child

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

Ch. 2 – Devil's Child

* * *

Priss was too stunned to even speak. She couldn't begin to fathom why Galatea would do this, much less why Linna would apparently let it happen. It seemed so obvious to her that the 'Priss' currently driving Linna into a sensual frenzy was a fake… but then she realized she did have the advantage of first hand verification.

Still unsure of just how real her surroundings were, Priss took a step towards the bed anyway with every intention of setting the record straight for the country girl. But before she could take the next step, Galatea snapped her head up from the bed and repeated one word for Priss… _"Mine!"_

A sharp pain split the back of Priss' neck as she suddenly found herself on wobbling feet, standingin front of the store. She wasnext to Leon who had finally caught up to her, but he wasn't sure of what he was seeing either.

A pained moan from her front drew Priss' attention back into the all too real surroundings of the store… and into the contorted face of a nearly unconscious Linna. As she struggled with the reality now around her, Priss realized she couldn't tell what was really happening to Linna. _The link! She… she broke the link! Galatea… she's… damnit! _Priss realized in that instant what Galatea was likely doing… and what she had to do as a result. Thus the unarmored Knight launched herself at Galatea, trying to quickly close the few meters that still separated them.

Galatea simply stood her ground and gave a confident smile at the charging Priss.

The Knight Saber howled out the attack and aimed just to the right side of Galatea's head with her punch… and just around the prone form of Linna. Just as Priss started her arm forward, another mental flash pierced her concentration… images of a blue hardsuit striking a green one… images of the accident… images courtesy of Galatea. The painful reminders forced a distracted Priss to divert around her target, sailing past the child-god.

Meanwhile, Leon still hadn't figured out what was happening. He drew his gun after Priss charged in, but wasn't sure if what he was seeing was actually a boomer or not. "Priss! Priss, what the hell's going on!"

"That's Galatea you idiot!" she yelled while trying to reset herself for another attempt.

"Galatea? Here?" He aimed the barrel of the gun trying to find an opening past Linna's prone body. Just as his sight found Galatea's head, her crimson eyes flashed… a prelude to the ground shaking beneath him. Lightning quick reflexes kept Leon from getting caught in the metal vine that sprung out from where his feet had just been.

Rolling to one side, he tried to get a good view of the action in the store. All he could see however was the metal tentacles now blocking the entrance. "Damnit! Now what!" He fired a couple of ineffective rounds into the vines that only served to irritate the unnatural demons, causing them to quickly sprawl in his direction...

Inside the store, Priss again charged into Galatea's back trying to take advantage of Leon's diversion. She never made it to the target...

From the side, a tall mass of liquid metal flowed out of the aisle covered in a coagulated red coating. The flow cut off the path for her attack forcing Priss to retreat and find another way around.

A couple more agonized groans from the semiconscious Linna spurred Priss quickly down a short aisle, desperately trying to find an opening. Scurrying around the back of the store, she finally found a clear aisle leading to the front. Shooting down that aisle, Priss emerged just to the right of Galatea. The enraged woman charged in. She thought back to her previous failure and steeled her mind for another mental attack.

Focusing on Galatea and the mass of metal that had thwarted her other previous attempt, Priss never saw the actual trap waiting for her. Razor sharp metal spikes shot down through the ceiling directly on top of her.

Even though she couldn't see it, she somehow 'sensed' them at the last moment, rolling out of the way almost in the nick of time… but not before one of the spikes was able to gouge into her shoulder blade first. Priss grunted as she held her hand over the blood trickling out of the cut. "Damnit… not fast enough… without… a hardsuit." Her eyes again focused on Galatea still holding Linna upright… her hand still glowing that maddening color over her forehead.

She began to stand up only to find the spikes liquefying into metal trunks, then thrusting sideways directly into her. She wasn't quick enough to dodge this time, slamming backwards into some store shelves causing cans and boxes to rain down on her head.

With the breath temporally knocked out of her, Priss struggled to get back to her feet. A vine strung out around her neck and wrapped around tightly just as she gripped it with her hands, desperately trying to keep its constricting force from crushing the life from her. However, its unnatural strength grew to more than even her hardened hands could resist. The metal constricted tighter and tighter, smashing her own fingers into her neck.

"Anngh!… nngh… damn… things…"

A sickening snap ushered in a wave of pain as one of her fingers succumbed to the extreme pressure. The glowing figures in front of Priss blurred from the oxygen supply being slowly bled off from her brain. The already dark room grew even darker….

… before a bright flash released the tension from her metallic noose, letting the weary Priss to crumple on her side, gulping in air as she struggled to recover. Her vision returned enough to show the back of a very familiar white figure standing between Galatea and herself. "… sylia…"

"Are you alright?"

"…don't worry about… cough … me, get… galatea… she… cough … she's doing something inside Linna's head…"

Sylia turned her full attention towards the nemesis currently holding one of her team captive. "This ends now Galatea!" the White Knight warned. Sylia leapt at the child-god, thrusting her blade at the strangely unmoving form. She quickly found out why Galatea seemed so confident.

Two more metal stakes shot out towards her vulnerable left side from the store aisles. Sylia was able to cut down one… but the cramped confines limited her maneuverability as the other slammed into her side.

The blow wasn't enough to penetrate her armor, but it was enough to knock the wind out of her. Sylia crashed into the front wall of the store just below the glass window, the pane above her shattered, raining fragments down inside of her starry vision. "Hnnn… damnit…"

The White Knight struggled to her feet just in time to see three more spikes arch up… ready to finish the job…

Galatea, still standing in the same spot with the helpless Linna under her spell, "You were right after all Sylia. It appears your end does come now…"

The jagged teeth like vines sliced through the air, forking as they filled the small space in the front of the store.

Her eyes flared as the White Saber recognized her quick defeat. Sylia Stingray saw Death finally calling her…

* * *

Falling… falling from somewhere. That's all Linna could immediately determine through the fog continuing to cloud her thoughts. Her fall suddenly stopped and a slight sensation of numbed pressure tingled her limbs.

_Wha… what's going… priss… she was… _

A feral scream pierced the fog, snapping Linna back into reality. Her eyes opened to a blurry dark shape lying on a flat surface. Before she could finish focusing, she finally recognized the scream. _…sylia?… _

Her thoughts turned to ask why just as blood rushed into her head, pounding reality into a painful submission. Her eyes flickered before giving into the darkness closing in around her mind again. The sight in her vision showing one last clear frame, leading her to one final question…

_… how did… priss… get dressed so fast?…

* * *

_

The fully clothed singer was still in the midst of clearing the cobwebs herself, still recovering from her own near death experience. The index finger on her left hand throbbed even more than her bleeding shoulder did.

While her vision still wavered, a scream that Priss instantly recognized helped to focus her thoughts. Her head turned around to try and find Sylia… since that's whose voice she had heard. However, her eyes focused on something else instead…

Priss watched Linna fall to the floor, her eyes briefly fluttering open before finally closing for good. But even that frightening sight wasn't enough to keep her attention away from the true source of the scream… the being who had seemed invulnerable and untouchable… the being who was holding her right arm with her face twisted in obvious agony… _"Galatea…"

* * *

_

The command post was full of silent determination, the grim faces of the soldiers stoically frozen in their duty. Occasionally epitaphs or prayers to one deity or another interrupted the silence. A sudden rumble shook the van as the mobile post rocked back and forth on the now strangely fluid road.

"Status report!" shouted a commanding figure standing in the center of the van, stubbornly riding out the waves under his heavy boots.

"Underground detonation successful! Initial data indicates magnitude is as expected… conductivity test negative… sonar results positive! It worked sir!"

The General didn't allow the success to breed any smiles from his grim face. "Gentlemen, Yokohama is safe… for now. It took the third nuclear bomb detonated in Japan to stop it, but the underground corridors between the two cities have been flooded. The boomer phenomenon is contained to Tokyo."

* * *

To Galatea, it was as if her arm had been ripped straight from the socket. The pain was all too real, dropping the child-god to one knee. _Wh… what happened… _A flash of vulnerability shone in her shaking crimson eyes… and Sylia wasted no time in taking advantage.

The death strike had stopped just as the store had echoed with Galatea's pain… a pain the Knight Sabers' leader had no idea of the actual source. Frankly, Sylia didn't care what Galatea's problems were, she simply wanted to destroy her father's creation once and for all. She leapt around the frozen vines and thrusted directly at Galatea's shivering body, the body still distracted for some unknown reason, clutching her right arm in something that appeared to be disbelief. The White Knight's blade sliced through the darkness, down towards the prone being slumped on the ground. Sylia cut through the space Galatea occupied… but somehow missed the target.

It was almost as if the ground itself had swallowed up Galatea at the last instant. She landed on the edge of a small hole, just beside the unconscious Linna. She peered down into the small tunnel, cursing her luck. "Damnit! She's trying to escape!" She took one step towards the dark opening before a mass of metal tentacles shot out from it, forcing her back. Sylia quickly knelt down and scooped up Linna before retreating out of the store.

Priss leaped out right behind her, rolling to a stop a safe distance away.

"Priss, take care of Linna. I'm going after her again," Sylia announced, handing the unconscious Saber over to the singer.

"Wait! You're not going in there by yourself!"

"I have to!"

"Sylia, listen! We're not at full strength right now."

"And neither is she!"

"Its suicide to go back in there alone now. Besides, Linna's hurt and she can use all the help we can give her… all of us."

Priss watched the faceless visor lower towards Linna's limp body, then turn towards the store before slowly coming back around to her again. Sylia wordlessly sheathed her blade, the only indication she was finally relenting to Priss' demands.

Leon staggered up, limping on his left leg. "Is everyone okay?"

"Linna… I'm not sure," Priss answered, unsure of how to word what she had seen… or even if she really wanted to try with Leon present.

"Her vitals look okay. Pulse steady. I have a few more scans we can do at the mobile pit, but not as much as I had at the Lady 633." Sylia let the last part trail off her lips, lost in introspection of what Galatea had already managed to take from her.

The White Saber scooped up Linna from Priss' arms and carried her off with the two other humans trailing close behind.

* * *

Galatea was in the midst of her own regrouping, attempting to reformulate her plan for the boomer revolution she had been created for. _The humans…the pesky humans have cut off my main path to the surrounding land. _

Even so, Galatea recognized the broader picture and what she would likely have to do as a result. Given the fact that Japan was a small island, this particular part of her plan would eventually have to be carried out anyway. However, since the child-god was now isolated to an area she already controlled, her other 'motivations' would have to be put aside for the moment. The 'revolution' came first… and there was only one place she could set it into motion… a place that had a commanding view of her new kingdom… almost a heavenly view…

As she whisked her way back to her current perch, Galatea made ready her plans for 'ascent' to her new throne. But another idea came to her formulating mind, perhaps a way to multitask and gain more success in a shorter time. Now, through her experiments with the young Knight Saber, Galatea knew how to interface more directly with humans than she had realized possible at first. Thus, she chose an appropriate tool to carry out the additional task… the very task that had drawn her from the tower in the first place…

* * *

A grunt surrounded by muffled screams awoke Nene from her rest. She quickly lifted her head only to have it spin under the effects of the lone beer she had drank earlier. "Uhh, my head," she complained before the heavy sound of a familiar male voice drew her upright. The teenager followed the sound away from where she had laid down. She momentarily stopped as she suddenly recalled that Mackey hadn't been there when she had awoken. However, her thoughts turned back to the sounds sifting through the bushes and momentarily away from her young companion that had been next to her earlier in the evening.

Nene pushed her way through the bushes until she noticed a green glow coming from the other side of a thick brush. She stumbled through an opening and stopped dead in her tracks. Her mind wouldn't… couldn't comprehend what she was seeing.

Nigel sat slumped down on his knees, arms lying deathly at his sides, eyes rolled up in the back of his head, drool dripping out of his hung open mouth… all because of Mackey. The young boomer's hand gripped Nigel's head tightly in a hellish green cloud, all while Mackey's eyes burned with a sadistic red tint coupled with a sinister grin plastered on his pale face.

Nene had no idea what to do… all she could think was to scream out her horror as loud as she possibly could…

* * *

Sylia had just situated Linna into the mobile pit when she heard the scream. "Nene?" She blasted into the air and over the trees, instantly finding the disturbance by the unmistakable green glow. As Sylia flew down towards the scene, she saw Mackey holding Nigel… and could sense something horrible was happening.

Battle mode already fully engaged, she didn't stop to ponder the consequences, she simply cut down at the source of the problem… and neatly severed Mackey's arm directly at the elbow. The boomer collapsed onto the ground unconscious from the shock, followed shortly by the unresponsive Nigel.

On top of everything else she had seen, that traumatic experience caused Nene to faint right on the spot.

* * *

The older man slowly approached the woman sitting on the steps outside of the mobile pit. "How is Master Nigel now Mistress Sylia?" Henderson politely asked in his usual caring manner.

The distraught woman lifted her head up from her lap with puffy cheeks and a broken heart. "He… he hasn't changed since… since I brought him in. It's been almost an hour now. Henderson, do you… do you think… he's…"

"I don't know Mistress. I… We have known him for a very long time. He has been a very special person in our family. I sincerely do hope he recovers. How about Master Mackey?"

Sylia's face contorted briefly before she let out a heavy sigh. "I… I know… it wasn't his fault. Galatea… she… Why did she…"

"Will he be alright?"

"I don't know Henderson. The only person who could tell that now…" she trailed off, unable to voice her fears about the fate of her comatose companion.

"I am sorry Mistress Sylia. I didn't mean to cause you any undo pain."

"That's okay Henderson. I know you're just worried about them both. By the way, how are Nene and Linna?"

"Miss Nene is awake now, although she is understandably quite upset about everything that has happened. She still wants to see Master Mackey quite badly I'm afraid."

"I know she'll want to, but I don't think that's a good idea. Leon is guarding him now… and I don't know if I trust… if I can trust him until we kill _her_."

"I understand Mistress. Miss Linna is resting in a tent behind those trees and seems to be recovering. She is sleeping right now."

"Her scans didn't look that bad, but I hope most of that was because of the alcohol… and not _her,_" Sylia added darkly.

* * *

Priss lifted the flap carefully, peering cautiously into the dark interior of the tent. Soft snoring filtered through the lingering alcoholic stench wafting from its lone inhabitant. _"God is she ever drunk,"_ the woman dejectedly threw out into the air as she inched her way inside. Priss flexed her left hand because of the makeshift splint holding her broken finger in place. She could just make out the female shape resting in the sleeping bag through the miniscule light coming in through the slim opening.

Priss knelt down to that shape and paused for a moment… mentally backtracking to earlier events of the evening… and the impossible scene she had witnessed. _"Talk about an out of body experience,"_ she whispered to herself.

The sound of her voice apparently carried farther than she realized as the woman sleeping beneath her stirred with just one word. _"… priss…"_

"Huh? Linna, are you awake?" she asked reflexively.

A low groan from the rousing woman worried the singer. She put one cautious hand to Linna's forehead; it was the only healthy thing she could think to do at the time.

"Priss? Is that you?"

"Yes Linna, I'm here."

"Hmm… good."

"Huh?"

"Now it's your turn," the country girl throatily promised out from the depths of her lingering illusion.

Before the singer realized what she meant, Linna had a hold of Priss' hand and roughly jerked it across her own body.

The move caught Priss off guard as she tried to hold herself up with her left hand.But with afinger broken on that hand, she couldn't support her weight with it. Consequently, she fell directly on top of the woman beneath her. "Oooph… Linna! What the…" her words were cut off as the country girl followed the sound of her voice directly to her lips.

Linna continued exactly where she remembered leaving off earlier in the evening… with a deep, passion filled kiss. Linna wrapped her other arm around the singer's back and held her tight, rekindling her arousal of earlier.

Priss found herstruggles ceasing for just a moment. The probing kiss left its own buzz in her mind, partially attributed to the extreme amount of alcohol flowing from Linna's parted lips. The kiss further brought back for just a moment the intimate feeling she shared with her fellow Knight Saber just a few days ago.

However, the dark reality of the situation crept back over her hazy mind, recalling exactly why Linna was doing this now… who she had actually 'been' with earlier… what Linna had seemingly allowed to happen to herself… and what had happened to Nigel and Mackey as a result…

Fury erupted from deep within Priss' soul. She firmly planted both arms on either side of the drunken woman's body and pushed up as hard as she could through the pain in her hand. It broke both the kiss and the intimate contact instantly.

"Hey… Priss, where ya'…"

_CRACK!_

The intoxicated woman's protesting words were silenced by one single motion… a vicious backhand from Priss' left hand.

_"YOU IDIOT! HOW COULD YOU LET HER USE YOU LIKE THAT!"_

Even as stone drunk as she was, Linna still felt the blow… both physically and emotionally… "p… priss… wha… what…"

"You let Galatea use you! She used you like one of her damn puppets out there! Now Mackey… Nigel…" Priss finally recognized that emotion had already gotten the better of her. Without saying another word, she jumped to her feet and left the confused and broken Linna in her wake.

She stormed out of the tent but stopped just on the other side of the flap. She held her left hand gingerly, her finger now throbbing thanks to the thoughtless aggravation she had dealt out to it. Her thoughts tumbled back to the hypocrisy of her own words… _"… let her use you…"_ Priss knew she was the last person alive who could accuse Linna of that now, but it still hadn't stopped her from doing it anyway.

Even as she might have wanted to go back and try to apologize now, Priss realized it was useless. Linna was too drunk to reason with and besides, she had more important things to worry about… and some revenge to deal out to a wanna-be god.

Linna held her blistered right cheek in a trembling hand, tears streaming off the ends of her fingers, her mind spinning with the words her love had thrown at her. She couldn't begin to fathom why Priss would give so much only to turn around and fire out accusations at her.

_It… it's a mistake… it's got to be… just… a… _

She tried to get up, rolling over and sitting up on her hands. But as she rolled over, Linna found the room didn't stop moving under her. The whole tent revolved, not slowing down at all even though she was pretty sure she wasn't moving. As a last resort she tried closing her eyes. But even then, everything continued to spin… at least until she landed hard on the ground again, everything retreating to blackness once more…

_To be continued…_


	4. Ch 3: Love Me When I’m Gone

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

Ch. 3 – Love Me When I'm Gone

* * *

Holding her throbbing hand, Priss shuffled away from the tent. She was so distracted by what had just happened with Linna that it took Leon three yells to finally get her attention. 

"Priss! Wait!"

The singer growled to herself as she stopped. She didn't feel like dealing with anyone else, much less Leon right about now. "Weren't you supposed to be guarding Mackey?" she snarled without bothering to turn around.

"I thought I heard some screaming over here. What happened?" he said, walking over from the direction of the mobile pit.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Damnit! If it involves Linna it sure the Hell does!"

The Blue Saber now turned towards the man and shot out a disapproving glare from her fiery eyes. "… _so that's what this is really about_… Look! Get your damn schoolboy jealousy away from me right now! I've got more important things to deal with," she darkly retorted.

Her tone more than anything else forced Leon to back away. "Priss… I didn't mean…"

"Just SHUT UP Leon! Look, in case you forgot, Galatea almost killed all of us back there. It's time to stop screwing around and go get that little bitch!" Priss spun on one foot and strode away from the ADP officer.

"Priss! Wait up! Where are you going?"

She stopped for a moment and snapped her head around with one last word. "I'm finding Sylia and Nene. We're gonna end this now… one way of the other!"

* * *

The thin strip of concrete ran out from her feet leading towards the path she must now face… a path that seemed so bleak and hopeless… a stark contrast from her dreams just a short time ago. Nene looked out at the menacing tower looming in the distance, desperately trying to steel her mind. _I've got to do this… we've got to win. Together we can beat her. _But even as she tried to convince herself, her own consciousness questioned her bravery, reminding herself that there were only three of them fighting now. Linna wasn't coming this time, still suffering from the effects of Galatea's attack and her own self-destructive alcoholic binge. That wasn't the point troubling the young girl the most though. The being she cared for more than anyone else lay unconscious, felled by Galatea's influence as well as Sylia's blunt attack just a few short hours ago. 

Nene wasn't upset with her leader though. She realized that it could have easily been herself and not Nigel whom the young boomer had attacked. _But it wasn't him. It was her… Galatea, right? _In her heart she wanted desperately to believe, but there was so much she still didn't know about him…

"Let's get this over with," Priss announced beside her, agitation spilling through her words.

"Right," Sylia added, standing tall in her hardsuit between them, grim determination burning in her eyes. Just before she closed her visor, the Knight Saber's leader let out one final phrase of personal motivation… "For Nigel."

"For Mackey," Nene chimed in.

The young Saber thought she heard Priss whisper something just before she rocketed off onto the bridge and straight for the tower. As Nene followed Sylia down the wide bridge, she wasn't sure if it was "Leon" whose name she had uttered… or if it might have been "Linna"…

* * *

Galatea stood firm in her circle of power. Calculations scorched through her mind, determining exactly the precise features required to perform her next god-like feat. A small part of her consciousness grew aware of the impending disturbance approaching her castle. However, she wasn't going to let the Knight Sabers distract her from the plans she now had in motion. Galatea was sure the tower would stand tall against their assault. It would stand for as long as necessary… and then her throne would rise… rise with her into the heavens to rule over this infested planet. The humans would pay for their insolence and their stubborn resistance. Then the boomers would lay claim as the next inhabitants of the planet once and for all…

* * *

Mackey's eyes snapped open from the nightmare he was enduring… only to find it wasn't just a dream at all. He lifted the remains of his arm up… and found his worst fears come to life. 

"… my… arm… what… what did I do?" he weakly croaked out. But even as that question came to his mind, another image from his lingering nightmares came back into focus. "… nene… she … she's in trouble…" Too weak to physically move, he readied himself to aid in the only way he still could.

Maybe he could somehow manage to undo some of the horrible things his boomer body had done after all… before his body further betrayed his friends… and the young human whom he loved…

* * *

_"Humans… Pitiful humans. Why do they struggle so?" _

Galatea watched from within the tower as the Blue and White Knights fought against the microbarrier she had put into place around the tower. The Red one joined in the fray and promptly was caught as well. All three of the remaining Knight Sabers were now trapped in the ultra flexible net, their hardsuits powerless against its speed and efficiency.

_"Mackey's knowledge has proven quite useful in nullifying the abilities of their boomers. With them connected to the shielding now, perhaps it is time to reclaim what is mine." _

Galatea focused on the three minds now joined with part of her sphere of influence, coaxing control of the boomers they wore back under her evil spell. Her lips thinned into a small grin as she recognized the brightly colored boomers answering her dark call…

* * *

Nene screamed under the jabs of a virtual knife plunging into the back of her head. Again and again it struck down, severing her link to the armor around her. The metal began to liquefy, her feet feeling the cool air beginning to flow against her skin. "No! The… the hardsuit… its… can't…" 

"Fight it Nene!" Sylia yelled out words of encouragement even as she struggled with her own control. Her words fell silent as she was forced to turn her struggles inward and tried to press back… although her hardsuit was still trapped in the microboomer shield.

_She will NOT beat me here… Where are you Galatea! If I have to stop you in my mind first, then that's what I'll do! _Priss found herself floating in that place again, the same dreaded scene of her numerous nightmares. A green blade thrust out from the emptiness around her, but the Blue Knight was ready. She gripped the sides of the blade, cutting into her virtual fingers as she twisted the knife sideways. The sharp edge shattered from the force of Priss' counterattack.

_Gotcha! _

In its place hundreds of more blades reformulated themselves all around her. The Blue Saber swallowed hard at the overwhelming odds, but quickly gathered her wits. _C'mon! Who's next! _All the invaders answered her call, attacking as one…

* * *

Galatea raised her hand towards the top of the tower, calling down her cloud-like servants to answer her queries and to report on the status of preparations. They gathered around the dark, glowing goddess, almost acting as an extension of her very thoughts. "With Sylia's boomers no threat to me any longer, it is almost time. The gateway to the sky is now open and I shall ascend its staircase." The tower rumbled with the flow of dark energies surging through the corridors. "Now just a few more… _Mackey_…" 

A soft voice distracted her plans for just a brief moment before rainbow colors erupted in her mind, blinding her thoughts to everything else around her…

* * *

All three Knight Sabers saw it at the same time. The flash… the light… then within their virtual planes Galatea's dark form enveloped by a bright shroud of colors. Priss didn't recognize it… Sylia thought she might have known what it was… but it was Nene who had no doubts. Her voice carried over through her thoughts and into the minds of the other two Sabers…

_… Mackey… no… _

_"Nene! Hurry!" _were the last recognizable words she heard from the young boomer.

A loud roar followed as reality was blasted back into focus, signaling their freedom from the virtual attack. Their reprieve was thanks in large part to a knucklebomb from Priss, who now understood the window of opportunity now presented to them. The molecular shield shattered setting the Knight Sabers free of their physical bonds. Priss continued on, blasting a hole through the outer shell of the tower. Sylia followed but Nene remained behind for a moment. She said a brief prayer to whatever God might look after a being such as Mackey. She pushed back the tears threatening to pour from her fractured heart as she focused on the task she could now complete… the task of stopping the evil demon now holding Mackey's soul hostage.

* * *

_… too much… too… much… so much emotion… wonderful… passionate emotion… i… I understand now… love… desire… anger… companionship… I… I see now… _The colors faded from around Galatea's body, it's bright energy sucked into her dark core. She breathed in the depths of her discovery, but exhaled deeply in regret. _Even though… even if I now know these emotions of Mackey, and even those of the human Linna, I still… still cannot experience them. I cannot reach their height… not here… not in this body… not yet… not quite yet, but… _An explosion rocked the walls of the sublevels beneath her.

_So, a distraction? Well my dear brother, it was in vain. They still stand no chance of stopping me. And now, thanks to you, I hold the key to my ascension…

* * *

_

"Nene, what was that!" Priss asked, rubbing the side of her throbbing head while pulling herself out of the side of a wrecked wall.

"You just hit a battery substation you Gorilla! Watch it before you kill us all!"

"Alright ladies, stop the bickering! We're in," Sylia said, grabbing command once again.

Priss stormed in the still smoking hole screaming at the top of her lungs… "WHERE IS SHE!"… at least she was screaming until she began floating up into the cavernous space inside. "H… hey! What the…"

"Priss, what's wrong?" Sylia questioned before experiencing the same effects.

"It's a negative gravity field… because of those plasma coils," Nene quickly surmised.

"What are you up to?" Sylia asked to herself more than anyone. Priss answered for her anyway.

"I don't give a damn about her _plans_! The only thing that _bitch_ needs to worry about is her _funeral_!"

"Priss! Stay focused! You can't let what she did get the better of you now!"

"Why! You probably want me to just sit back again while you take her on all by yourself, right?"

Sylia growled her displeasure but didn't get the chance to articulate her rebuttal.

"Something's coming!" the Red Saber yelled as she detected the mysterious cloud-like objects flying down from the top of the vast tower above them.

* * *

The rumbling echoes called Linna back from the darkness, her mind still spinning even as she brought herself up on her arms. _"Unngh, my… head… hurts… wh… what happened…"_

More sounds of explosions drew the human out of the tent, although she was only able to crawl on her hands and knees. Her head gingerly turned to look in the direction of another small explosion. Even in her current impaired state, Linna immediately recognized the significance of what she saw. "The… the tower… they… they're attacking her… they're attacking Galatea… without me… W… why?"

Another explosion ushered in more smoke pouring out of one side of the tall structure.

"They'll… need my help…" she quickly decided, her blackened memory failing to remind her of what she had done to herself just a few short hours ago… and the consequences of those ill-advised actions. Linna struggled back on her knees and somehow managed to stand upright.

"Unngh, my head," she complained again, stumbling through the beginnings of dawn towards the mobile pit… and towards her hardsuit…

* * *

"My God, I hope that was Galatea," Leon remarked wistfully, standing alongside an equally concerned Henderson.

"I do hope they are successful. They are all so brave, so full of life."

Leon turned his head to nod in agreement with the old man and then quickly turned his attention back to the smoke-obscured tower across the bay.

A metallic crashing sound caused Leon to jerk his head around to the park behind him. Through the thin line of trees between their observing spot and the mobile pit, he made out the stumbling shape of the Green Hardsuit. It emerged from a jagged opening off the side of the heavy-duty van, off balance as it lumbered towards him.

"What the… Linna! I thought she was out cold!"

"Apparently, all of this ruckus must have woken her up I'm afraid," Henderson guessed.

After a few shaky steps, the Green Saber launched herself into the sky, over their heads and towards the fight in the distance.

"Oh my… shouldn't we try and warn the others?" the old man asked.

Leon took one look back at the smoking remains of the mobile pit and shook his head. "I don't think that'll do any good. Besides, I think we need to worry about Nigel and Mackey first," he remarked, unsure of Nigel's health and completely unaware as to what the young boomer had already sacrificed…

* * *

"Over here you bastards! Come and get it!" Priss shouted with the severed portion of the huge plasma conduit fused to her hardsuit.

The cloud-like demons descended to their fate seemingly oblivious to the warrior's intentions.

"Now Nene!"

"Right!" the Red Saber answered from safely behind her.

The released plasma jet obliterated the inhuman pets of Galatea as it heated the surrounding air to flash point temperatures. In one fell swoop, they were all erased from existence.

Nene cut off the jet as soon as she verified the job was done. Priss ripped her armored arms from the pipe. "Okay, lets go find her now Sylia… Sylia? Hey, where did she…"

"Priss! She's up there… with Galatea!" Nene pointed up to the top of the gravity free tower.

The Blue Knight jerked her helmet upwards. Using the hardsuit's visual magnifiers, she made out two female shapes facing each other, both motionless for the moment. "I knew it! I knew that bitch wouldn't wait. I'll kill her!"

"That's assuming Galatea doesn't beat you to it," Nene commented darkly as they both rocketed up towards the showdown.

* * *

As soon as Linna stepped into the hardsuit, something felt different… it just felt… odd. Still struggling to recall what had happened earlier, she had assumed the strange sensations were just an aftereffect of all the beer she had drank. The only gauge she had was her past drinking experience warning her of the magnitude of the hangover about to crash over the top of her. As she dwelled on those sensations for just a moment, she swore it almost felt like the hardsuit was driving her, not the other way around. _God, how much did I drink? _

Those problems weren't the most distracting for Linna though. Through her foggy memories, she remembered something about Priss… something that deeply troubled the young Saber. She just couldn't remember exactly what had happened, or if it all hadn't been just another one of her torturous nightmares.

As the Green Saber juggled the puzzle in her mind, she approached the tower unfocused and subsequently unprepared for what actually awaited her there…

* * *

"I'm just glad I could finally get a moment alone with you sister," Galatea's voice resonated aloud without so much as twitching her thin emerald lips.

"A moment is all this will take Galatea. I'm sorry," Sylia answered, letting out her blade as she prepared to cut down her father's evil creation once and for all.

"Sorry for what Sylia?" a hauntingly familiar voice terrorized the White Knight.

Sylia blinked twice and found herself facing the small form of Mackey now. Her eyes flared, but steadied out as she maintained her focus.

"Are you saying that you are sorry for having to cut my arm off?"

"I did what I had to Galatea. This little game of yours is over." She flashed the blade up over her head and prepared to strike… but stopped as the shape before her took on a different form.

"I know how hard this has been for you Sylia," a very deep, masculine voice spoke directly into the Knight Saber's broken heart.

Her arms began to shake uncontrollably in response to the vision and the words. _"… nigel…"_

"I didn't understand everything she was capable of until now. It's okay Sylia. I know what you wanted to do with me once this was all over. But, you see, we don't have to wait anymore. We can be together now."

"… nigel… it… this is…"

"It's not a trick Sylia. This is very real. We can be together. We can love each other for eternity."

"… _love?…"_ The blade retracted involuntarily from the White Knight's arm, her visor opening to get a clearer look at the image floating in front of her. With each word he spoke, Sylia found it more and more difficult to deny her ripped open heart.

"Come here Sylia."

The woman found herself drawn towards the man she feared gone, but still held something back. "I… I can't…"

"Yes you can Sylia. We can do this… together… just like always…" The image of Nigel extended an open hand towards the trembling Saber. "Haven't I always been there for you when you needed someone?"

The faceless helmet nodded hypnotically in agreement with him.

"Well, I'm here for you now Sylia. Together, we can finally make everything all right."

"Oh Nigel!" Sylia shouted, completely giving in and thrusting towards his open arms.

Her watery eyes were so clouded, she never saw the shimmer in the illusion before her… nor did she see the outstretched hand of Galatea contact her helmet, fusing directly with her mind, paralyzing Sylia's body instantly…

"No! SYLIA!" Priss screamed, finally managing to close the enormous gap to the top of the tower.

Galatea released her grip and drifted just beyond the reach of the reckless Priss. The Blue Saber sailed past her target but quickly circled around to attack again. "Nene, take care of Sylia!"

"Right," the Red Saber answered trailing slightly behind her.

"You're not getting away that easy!" Priss promised while locking onto the evading boomer goddess floating in the air.

Nene grabbed onto the shaking White Knight and pulled her out of harms way. "Sylia! Sylia, are you okay?"

"… he… Nigel… where… he's dead… Priss…"

"C'mon Sylia! Snap out of it. We need you!"

"But she… she killed him… Priss…"

"No! It was Galatea! Sylia, listen!"

Meanwhile, Priss threw a haymaker right hook that impossibly flew straight through Galatea's body. "What the…"

The demoness didn't even bother moving, she simply opened a hole in her own body, letting the attack pass through before reforming herself behind the confused Blue Saber.

"Damnit! Hold still already!" she cried out, thrusting her jets to face the drifting Galatea.

"Why do you struggle so, Priscilla?"

As the out of body voice spoke inside of her mind, Priss ignored the distraction, maintaining her focus. "JUST DIE DAMNIT!" The Blue Knight twisted and turned through the air until she positioned herself behind the child-god. Priss charged in with the unimpeded attack… until a tentacle shot out from the floating boomer body before her.

Catching Priss off guard, the blue hardsuit crashed hard into the wall. Before she could recover, the metal came alive, beginning to swallow her hardsuit whole.

"RRRAGHH!" The Blue Saber roared as she instinctively fought back, ripping her body free and launching herself at the controlling entity still eluding her reach.

Galatea's body was motionless, floating in the center of the tower, turned to face the attacking Priss. "That's enough play Priscilla. I have what I want now." With that, the boomer goddess shuddered briefly before exploding into a mass of metal lines that vectored into every corner of the structure surrounding them.

A confused Priss stopped her attack, unsure of what she had just seen. _"What the hell just happened!"_ she screamed. The walls seemed to answer her by beginning to flow and expand. "Is she dead?"

A quick check of her scanners affirmed Nene's worst fears. "Not hardly!" She's transferred the phenomenon to the tower!"

"The tower!"

"Yes! Galatea is now the Genom Tower!"

* * *

"Priss? Nene? Sylia? Anybody? Strange… must be interference," the Green Saber reasoned as she reached the smoking hole in the tall structure. Cautiously proceeding inside, she tried to ready herself for anything… but the last thing she was ready for was her hardsuit suddenly freezing around her. "Damn! Is my battery… _wha… what the…_" Linna squirmed as her first theory was quickly dispelled by two distinct clues. A nerve-wracking tingling sensation traversed the back of her spine just as haunting words shattered the remains of her courage.

"_Welcome Linna. I was afraid that I would never get to see you again,"_ a hollow voice echoed inside of her helmet.

"_Who… who are you?"_ An image instantly appeared in Linna's vision. At first, the confused country girl thought the apparition was outside of the hardsuit. But as she struggled with the armor, vainly trying to get it to respond, she realized the image was actually on the '_inside_' of her helmet, projected on the inside of her visor. Linna found herself claustrophobic from the proximity of the unnerving presence.

"The boomer won't answer to you anymore Knight Saber. It now belongs to its rightful owner once more."

Linna swallowed hard as she suddenly recognized two things simultaneously. For one, this was the same '_woman_' she had met last night… although she couldn't remember exactly what had happened after that meeting. Her blank memory was now the scariest part of all for Linna since she now realized that this must be… _"… Galatea…"

* * *

_

"Priss! We've got to get Sylia out of here!"

"Not without killing Galatea first!" the Blue Saber howled as she continued to smash the lifeless carcass that had been the child-god's previous form.

"And just how are we supposed to do that Priss! You're certainly not helping anything by beating up that, that thing there!"

Priss finally stopped long enough to dart her head back and forth, seeing that the structure around her continuing to grotesquely mutate regardless of her actions. "Damnit, why won't she die! Hey, can't you find a central core or something!" she demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the Red Saber.

"All I can detect is that phenomenon everywhere around us! Besides, we're out of time!" Nene screamed as the walls continued to collapse in on them.

Priss finally relented with a huff as she took the now unresponsive Sylia under the other arm and began dragging her out.

* * *

Linna desperately tried focusing her thoughts to regain control of the hardsuit, but found it useless. Her mind panicked, as she feared she hadn't been controlling the suit at all after leaving the mobile pit. The young woman's blood froze as a horrid thought formed in her mind_… Did… did Galatea bring me here? _

"We have so much to talk about Linna and so much time to do it in now."

"Wh… what do you want with me?"

"I needed some company on my journey," the child-god toyed with the helpless human trapped with her newly reclaimed boomer.

"_Journey?"_ Linna asked from the depth of her rampant fears.

"Don't worry human. You needn't concern yourself over the details just now. But I would prefer if your stay here went… unnoticed… for the time being."

"_What!"_ Linna tensed her body as the hardsuit began to move without her consent.

It slowly turned, stepping backwards and directly into a wall… where the metal parted behind it. As the flowing liquid structure encased the protesting but helpless Linna, she caught a brief glimpse of the other Knight Sabers racing past the corridor just in front of her. "PRISS!" she yelled out to the one closest to her.

However, the Blue Knight didn't stop as she quickly passed out of her limited line of vision… just as the metal completely covered up her orange visor. Staring into the rippling flow, Linna's heart pounded in her chest, her arms and legs beginning to shake uncontrollably.

"That's enough now human," the feminine voice cautioned her, "you need to rest now. I have an important task for you later…" A sudden snap inside her head sent everything in Linna's consciousness immediately to black…

* * *

A brief familiar ping in the back of her head caught Priss' attention for just a second. Otherwise distracted by the morphing walls around her, she found herself stopping and glancing behind her from some unknown reason. The only thing she saw was the flowing, liquefying metal remains of the tower still changing its shape all around her.

"Priss, what's wrong!" Nene shouted hysterically while caught up in the rush to escape.

"I… I'm not sure. For a second, I thought…"

"Shit! The hole is closing up Priss! Hurry!"

The two Sabers opened up their thrusters to haul Sylia out and sped through the rapidly mutating structure. They made it out just in the nick of time, the large hole they had made to enter the tower now completely closed up behind them.

They flew away from the tower and towards the direction of the mobile pit. Reaching the edge of the dry land, the two conscious Sabers stopped to turn around and see the impossible sight in the center of Tokyo Bay.

"_Holy…"_ Priss muttered under her breath as the whole tower horrifyingly morphed into a large statue-like idol of the being they had vainly tried to kill. The sheer size dwarfed both Priss and Nene's resolve as the both took a step back in awe.

Sylia remained lying in the spot she had been deposited in, her mind temporarily shut down from sensory overload thanks to Galatea's playtime exercises. The ground beneath them began to shake as the whole unreal structure ripped free from its foundation and slowly rose into the sky.

"_We… we never had a chance,"_ Nene whispered.

Priss responded with a sullen word of her own. _"Yeah,"_ was all she could muster.

The sound of pounding boots distracted Priss from the sight above her. "Are you okay?" Leon shouted, running up to her with Henderson pacing far behind.

"Y… yeah, I guess so," she answered weakly.

"Hey, where's Linna?"he asked.

_Linna? _The bottom immediately fell out of Priss' stomach as the likely meaning of his question caught up with her.

"Linna? We never…" Nene started to answer before Priss turned and shot off for the mobile pit.

"NO! NO NO NO!" She stopped just short of the van, the large hole ripped out of the side right where the Green Hardsuit had been left, mirroring the rift currently searing through her own heart. "Wait, maybe…" she started, hopeful for a miracle. She ran over to the tent next, ignoring Nene's panicked questions through the comlink for the moment.

"Leon, what happened to Linna!" Nene yelled at the man, forcing him to take a step back in self-defense.

"All we saw was her hardsuit flying over to the tower. She must have gotten there no more than a minute before you came flying out."

"So where the Hell is she!"

The blue hardsuit's shaking hands ripped the cover off the tent, exposing the empty contents to the morning sunlight. _"No! Oh God No!"_ Priss dropped the remains of the flap as she turned around to look into the specter of evil slowly lifting into the eerily tranquil blue background above. The face of that image burned itself into the back of Priss' mind, triggering a phrase to be replayed… the last phrase spoken by Galatea before her impossible transformation… _"… I have what I want now…" _

The Blue Saber's hands clenched as she began grinding her teeth, barely restraining the combustible mix of loss, rage, and revenge swirling in her soul. An instant later it ignited, causing Priss to cock her head back and scream her pain into the heavens… "NOOO! LIINNNAAAA!"

_To be continued…_


	5. Ch 4: Freefalling

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

Ch. 4 – Freefalling

* * *

"NO! LIINNNAAAA!" Priss screamed out through the speakers of the hardsuit. Her eyes opened wide in shock, her head impulsively flashed skyward to gauge the distance, feeding the insane idea borne from her sudden desperation… then recklessly ignited her jump-thrusters, shooting straight for the spot she thought she had last sensed her missing teammate…

* * *

Misa Yamazaki huddled on the porch of her home. In that moment, the warm tea held gingerly in her hands was doing very little to warm her heart. Facing into the rising sun, her restless thoughts were full of fears for her daughter's safety. They hadn't heard from Linna in over a week now. This was despite the rampant speculation that much of the population of Tokyo had now fled their homes. It was all they could manage to gather from the sketchy news reports from the chaos throughout the rest of Japan. The worst part was knowing deep down in her heart that the very thing driving everyone to leave Tokyo was likely what Linna had gone to stop.

The distraught mother turned her worried eyes towards the direction of the doomed Megalopolis and noticed a peculiar site. "Is it… is that… a rising star?" Unsure of what it actually was, she nevertheless made a wish towards that rising star… a wish for the safe return of her daughter. Misa had no way of knowing how closely tied her hopes and fears really were, nor did she have any way of knowing that she wasn't alone in her wish…

* * *

"LINNA! LINNA!" The cries of the Blue Knight went unanswered even as she careened towards the oversized form of Galatea. With each passing second without a sound from her fellow Saber, panic gripped her chest tighter and tighter. "Come on! Answer me damnit!" Overtaxing thrusters that were never designed or intended for the duty, Priss rapidly closed the distance to the hovering fortress. Sailing up its 'front', she searched for any signs of the entrance they had used before.

"Where are you… wait a minute…" With a burst of inspiration, the young woman collected her thoughts and projected her search inward, through the mental link that she shared with her fellow Knight Saber. As she tried to ping the other side of the link, a soft glow arose form the HUD for a second… before a single phrase ushered in reality's end…

_"You weren't strong enough Priss" _

"Linna?"

The visor burst forth a bright green shroud, blinding the singer for just an instant. When her eyes fully recovered a few seconds later, Priss found her hardsuit simply gone… along with the morning sunrise, the blue sky, Galatea… and everything else that Priss had assumed to be real. She now found herself sitting atop her bike, parked in the dark alley beside her music studio. Raising her hands in front of her face, Priss realized she was wearing her bike helmet, gloves, and all the other things she normally had on for rehearsal. "Is… is this… real? Wh… what's going on?" she asked no one in particular, flexing her fingers and wondering how the leather could feel so genuine between them.

"You were looking for me, remember?"

Priss' eyes focused for her, past her hands and into the plain-dressed country girl standing in front of her bike… exactly as she had on the very night she had asked to join the Knight Sabers… _"…Linna…"_

"…but you can stop looking now."

"What! Why?"

"You're not strong enough Priss," Linna remarked with a smirk, running her hand through her hair to uncover a fresh cut on her forehead… the exact cut she had gotten during that first boomer attack.

Priss was speechless by not only the words but by the situation.

While the singer remained silent, Linna continued with her verbal explanation. "Oh, you've acted tough. You always wanted to be the strongest. You even thought you wanted a challenge for that top dog spot, didn't you Priss?"

"Linna… What… what's going on?"

"It's simple. I'm gone Priss. I guess you weren't strong enough to save me this time," the country girl explained with a shrug of her shoulders… before her lips twisted into a sadistic grin, "… just like you couldn't save Katsuro before."

Priss' jaw nearly fell out of her helmet, her heart stopping at the impossible connection. "But… but how did you know…"

"I can read your mind silly, don't you remember?"

"This… this doesn't make any sense…"

"And neither did your jealousy towards Mitsu."

Priss's eyes flared as her own self conscious thoughts were dragged out into the dimly lit alley.

"Y'know Priss, I never did see you as the jealous type. But now I know better… I know it all. You were so weak back then," Linna laughed.

Her mocking attitude transformed Priss' confusion into rage. _"You don't know shit!"_ she screamed, somehow projecting her anger enough to even cause the streetlight to flicker. The fluctuating source distracted the singer as she looked up into its artificial glow. The lamp suddenly exploded, causing Priss to defensively cover her face.

Even as she did, Linna's taunting voice continued to banter on. "Priss, you know you haven't changed. You're still just as weak now as you were then."

Priss lowered her arm down… only to find her surroundings altered once more. The lone source of light and heat was a barrel filled with flickering flames… with Linna's shifting form shimmering on the opposite side from her. "It… can't be…" She turned her disbelieving eyes in all directions, confirming her fears. She was now back in her old familiar ruins, the area her gang used to hang out… the site of Katsuro's death.

"You were jealous of Mitsu, jealous because Katsuro said something about her after a rumble, don't you remember?"

On queue, two different voices pulled on Priss' attention… away from the fire and into the shadows just to the side…

"Y'know the girl in those pink leathers was pretty hot," a young male voice remarked in a voice Priss remembered all too vividly.

_…Katsuro… _

"She was nothin'!" replied a younger version of her own voice… a phrase that had haunted the former gang member almost every day since the moment she had let out those words…

"Why? Think you could take her?"

"With one hand tied behind my back!"

"I dunno. You're not as tough as you think you are."

"Wanna bet?"

"Okay, you take her out and I'll let you drive my bike over to the North Bay."

"You're on," the girl agreed, sealing the deal with a fateful kiss… a kiss that drew a watery bead from the elder woman's eye.

The quiet echoes of the past silently faded back into the shadows as Linna continued her dissertation. "Just a little roughing up, maybe showing Mitsu up… that's all you planned on, right Priss?"

The former gang member just bowed her head in silent resignation to the truth, her troubled past dredged up into her consciousness once again.

"You never expected her to put up such a fight. You overestimated you own strength. You did win… finally… but you had to go so far in beating her up that the other members of her gang couldn't let it go. But you never stopped to think about those consequences, did you? Never though they'd take it so personally. If you had, maybe you would've been ready. You might have been armed. Then, Katsuro wouldn't have had to take that bullet for…"

"STOP IT! Just stop it already!"

"Why Priss? You know it's the truth. It's as true as your failure to protect me against that one little office boomer."

"W… What! But, I… I thought…"

"… that I forgave you? Maybe. But you've never really forgiven yourself, now have you?"

"But you never gave me the chance!" she answered defensively, caught completely off guard by the sudden change in topic.

"I didn't? That's funny, I seem to remember begging you to stay and talk with me."

"Linna…" 

"But you let jealousy get in the way yet again Priss. Even though I said I wanted to be with you, you still ignored me and ran off scared again… too weak to face up to your own heart."

"Damnit! That's not true!"

"Isn't it though? You certainly let yourself hate me for your own jealous weakness. Then you let Galatea, a mere child at the time, take control of you. She manipulated you so easily, once again proving how weak you really are."

"Linna, why the Hell are you saying all this!"

"Because I need someone strong Priss… someone who's stronger than you are… and I've finally found her now."

The ghost like shape of Galatea appeared from the darkness behind Linna, enveloping the young woman possessively in her artificial arms.

Priss' heart sank as the unbelievable sight before her became solid reality in her confused mind. Linna had apparently left… purposely. Her eyes misted up, blurring the images in her vision.

"Just go back to your safe, little relationship with Leon. You don't need to worry about me anymore Priss."

"Linna…"

"What? Still can't face what your heart tells you anymore? Still too weak to admit that you might just love another woman? Is that it Priss?"

Every time she began to set herself against the country-girl's verbal attacks, she seemed to shift tactics and throw her off balance again. The question of love… the one question she had briefly considered when first reading the e-mails from Linna now haunted memories of her past actions. Even though she knew the answer to that question, motivation remained the biggest stumbling block in her mind. "Why Linna? Just… why?"

"Look at yourself. You're nothing more than a scared little girl covered in a hard, protective shell. Take away that shell, and there's nothing left to you."

"Linna… Linna, this… this isn't like you…"

"Guess you don't know me very well then. Really you don't know me at all, now do you Priss?" the brown-haired woman taunted with the same bitter words the singer had used at the fountain… words that just helped solidify the impossible situation even further for the emotionally devastated Priss.

"Just stop Priss. Stop fighting for what you can't have anymore. You had your chance. We probably could have even worked things out back at the Lady 633 building. But instead you chose Leon. You decided to stay with your safe little relationship… didn't want to take a chance on something so foreign, something so dangerous. Still too weak to admit your mistakes, too weak to put aside past jealousies, too childish to take charge of the situation and claim my heart as your own. I wanted to give it to you Priss… and you know it. But it's too late now…"

A waterfall of tears clouded her vision even as Linna's words sharply clarified the situation for the heartbroken singer. "Linna… please don't…"

"The water Priss… the water…"

"What?"

The voice of Linna slowly morphed into Nene's as the Blue Knight suddenly awoke from her dreamlike trance, her snapped-opened eyes now showing the bay rapidly filling her visor. Before she had a chance to react, the impact from the water rocked every bone in her body. Just a brief moment later, she crashed into the bottom of the bay, her back sinking into the murky bottom.

It took a little while for the physical shock to wear off, but the defeated Knight Saber finally recognized her surroundings and her failure. "I… wasn't strong enough…" Looking up at the rippling light of morning, Priss let herself drown in her sorrow, in her loss. All the truths Linna had shown her mounted on her resolve, pinning her to the bottom of the bay just as much as her malfunctioning hardsuit. A few warning lights flashed silently in her visor as she contemplated whether she really wanted to get up from the bottom at all… if she ever really wanted to move again. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes, mentally reviewing how to open the hardsuit vents. One thought and it would all be over...

A swishing sound drew out of the near silent background noise. Priss opened her eyes to the sight of something approaching her underwater gravesite. "Leon…" she announced the identity of the object swimming towards her. She watched in detached fascination as the fully clothed man swam down. "What are you doing here?" she rhetorically asked, even though he couldn't hear her.

Leon was nearly as blue in the face as Priss' hardsuit by the time he reached her. Priss still didn't find the resolve to move, still couldn't see the point in fighting any longer. Her life seemed so empty… even with Leon here. That revelation opened up her eyes even more to what she had now lost forever.

Priss felt her arm move slightly as she gazed into Leon's determined face. "…idiot…" She pushed him away and lay back down once again.

Leon stubbornly swam back, apparently not willing to give up just yet.

"He's going to kill himself first," Priss finally realized. Even if she had given up on herself, she wasn't going to let Leon go down with her…

The Blue Hardsuit responded to the revived will of the singer as she stood up, grabbed Leon by the shirt and rocketed off towards the surface. She broke through and sailed over the water, depositing the nearly drowned Leon next to the fallen Sylia on dry land again. Priss took one more look towards the still rising mass of metal in the sky.

"Priss, what happened?" a concerned Nene asked from the edge of the concrete pier.

"I… I think Linna… I think…" she stammered, unable to face the reality that seemed so true to her.

"Were you able to contact her?"

"Yeah, but she… she said she… wanted to go."

"What!"

"She said she'd rather go with Galatea."

"So cough is that why… you didn't want to get up?" Leon asked, recovering.

Priss didn't answer the question, rather letting her silence speak for her defeated purpose.

"But why?" Nene asked unconvinced, "why would she do that? That doesn't sound like Linna!"

"Doesn't it though? She's been acting strange lately anyway. I bet this had something to do with that fight she had with Priss last night, doesn't it?" he accused, propping up on his elbows.

"no… NO! That… that can't be," Priss denied even though she mindlessly rubbed her left hand, the same hand that had delivered the slap to Linna's face. Her own thoughtless accusations came back to haunt her again, further cementing Leon's theory. But she wouldn't do it… couldn't admit that it had really been her fault.

"There's got to be some other explanation," the blond haired girl agreed with her teammate, "and we're not going to find anything out here. C'mon, lets see if we can't figure out what's going on…"

"… and get some help for Mistress Sylia," Henderson finished for her, holding his charge in his tired arms.

Their comments were ignored by the Blue Saber. Priss just continued to stare into the sky, watching her life slowly float away from her… seemingly just out of her reach…

* * *

Within the bowels of the reconstructed tower, newly reclaimed equipment bubbled and flowed. Old experiments were given new life as circuitry was repaired at the whim of the phenomenon that lay within. At the center of the activity, a lone human was naked to those whims as well, unprotected by her own rebelling armor or even her paralyzed will. The presence of the god-like being permeated the empty space as the tools of her will closed in on the unconscious woman, oblivious to her part in Galatea's latest game.

* * *

The last hints of what had been a picturesque sunset slowly faded in the West… not that Priss had noticed any of it. The beauty of life was permanently hidden to her now. She sat on the rooftop of Nene's apartment building, her back against a hard, cold wall. The cold helped to numb her body, but the pangs of loss continued to chill her soul. She remained frozen in that state, her head still looking up into the dark sky above. With the sun setting, she could now easily make out the bright spot of light that was Galatea… the same spot that somewhere deep within held the only person that really mattered to her anymore… and she still didn't know why… still hadn't figured out why Leon wasn't enough for her now… still couldn't fathom how Linna had been able to see it so clearly when she still couldn't understand it herself…

She had watched all day long, hoping that she would be able to track Galatea no matter where she might try to go. However, it appeared that the god-like creature was headed in a very different direction than Priss had guessed… she looked to still be going straight up… right into outer space.

"Priss, you still up here?" Leon called from around the corner of the rooftop, walking in her direction.

The singer attempted to collect her thoughts… and promptly buried her head into her lap, succumbing to the overwhelming despair. Sighing deeply, she looked up at him with bloodshot eyes and a wavering purpose. "Yeah, she hasn't changed course. Still looks like she's going straight up."

"I wonder why?" Leon asked, looking up as Priss did as well. "Hey, isn't that the space umbrella?"

Priss squinted her eyes and recognized the familiar unmoving object very close to the rising Galatea. "Yeah, I hadn't noticed that… you don't think…"

"I'm not sure. Nene's just about done with her dish programming. Let's see what she's got."

The two hurried down to Nene's apartment, anxious to see what they could learn. They each picked a shoulder and silently hovered over Nene while she worked on her computer. After a few minutes Priss noticed Nene sniffling and wiping her face every so often. "Nene?"

The young woman continued to type as she talked. "I'm okay."

Leon offered a question next. "Did you go see Mackey yet? I know you came right up here once we got back."

"No," she sniffled again, "This is more important. I… I can't do anything else for him now except find a way to stop her." Nene flashed her teary eyes up towards Priss with a face that looked as if it had aged a few years just in the past day. "We've got to stop her Priss. If we don't… Mackey… Mackey would have sacrificed himself for nothing." Nene turned back to her computer and returned to working in silence.

Priss simply put one hand on Nene's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, even as she tried to work through her own motivations.

Leon watched Priss out of the corner of one eye, contemplating his own wants and needs against what would likely happen if the rest of the Knight Sabers did try and stop Galatea one more time.

* * *

As the statuesque form lifted ever more from the atmosphere of the planet below, a hint of a smile was visible on the 'face' of the mutated tower. Deep within the enclosed space, the hideous experiment progressed just as the blueprint had been laid out before her. For Galatea, everything was moving according to her plans. Not only would she be able to ascend to her new throne high above the Earth, but she would also be able to experience her Kingdom in a different light. Soon all the doors would be open for the child-god…

A nearing disturbance dictated her attention be shifted momentarily. _"Pesky humans. Why exactly do they continue to struggle so…"

* * *

_

Part of her wanted it to work. Part of her so desperately wanted Galatea to finally die once and for all. But Priss found the air finally exhaling from her lungs once the incoming nuclear missiles had been destroyed. Whatever slim chances of Linna still being alive and well were intact… if only in her dreams…

However, if Galatea's invulnerability were in question before, it certainly wasn't now. She continued to watch in horrid fascination as the spy satellite camera Nene had hacked zoomed closer to the rising fortress in space. It showed a crystal clear picture of the face… the face that continued to mock Priss from a hundred kilometers above her.

Priss couldn't break her vision away as the eyes on the remodeled structure seemed to look into the camera, boring directly into Priss' own soul. Her heart skipped a beat when she swore the smile on that face seemed to grin even more maliciously at her. The unholy stare triggered a series of phrases, haunting words that replayed themselves for the singer… _… she's mine now… I have what I want… _and then the words from 'Linna'… _… you're not strong enough… stop fighting for what you can't have anymore… _… and it suddenly all clicked into place now. No matter how real it might have seemed to her fooled mind at the time, Priss now knew it had been Galatea all along, still playing with her, mocking her, telling her to quit…

Nene felt the air rush past her ear and reflexively ducked out of the way.

"RRRAAGH!" A fist smashed straight through the flimsy LCD monitor, shattering it along with the image of Galatea into so many fragmented glass shards. "I will NOT QUIT!"

"Priss, what's…"

"What the hell was that for!" Leon shouted, taking a cautious step backwards.

Priss didn't bother answering. She stormed out of the apartment, dripping blood from her right hand the entire way.

Nene let out a tired sigh and got up from her chair. She trudged over to a pile of old computer junk and pulled out another monitor.

"I guess you're used to that kind of thing from her, huh?" Leon assumed.

"Well, she hasn't broken too much of my stuff… especially since she never came over here very much until now."

"She used to always like to spend her time alone. Things have changed since Galatea though."

"I'll say," Nene agreed as she began to install the replacement monitor.

"I'd better go see how she's doing," Leon remarked, walking out the door and following the trail of blood back to the roof… not that he didn't figure to find her anywhere else at this point. He found her standing on the edge, rubbing her bleeding hand with the makeshift bandage covering the broken finger on her left one. With his own feet still, he could distinctly hear every tense breath from his lover's chest. But as she stood away from him, he feared her heart was beating for someone else in that moment… someone that stirred emotions within her soul like no one else could… himself included… "Priss?"

She shifted her gaze over her shoulder, a single tear streaked cheek illuminated by the moonlight. "I have to try and save her."

Leon's eye's widened as he realized his own worst fears. "But, you couldn't stop Galatea before…"

"So I'll just have to try harder damnit!" she yelled out at him.

"So what about me!" Leon blurted out under the strain, blowing whatever subtle chance he might have had about bringing the touchy subject up.

Priss' eye's flared briefly before shifting her eyes away from him. "I… I'm sorry Leon…"

"Sorry?"

"I have to go. If I don't…"

"So I mean that little to you?"

"No," she answered truthfully, the reality of her own heart shining through in that moment, "I've finally realized Linna just means that much more to me."

The man let out a sigh as his shoulders began to sag badly. "I see. So how do you think you're going to get to her now?"

The Knight Saber turned her head towards the thin line pointing down from the heavens. "There. The skyhook."

"The skyhook? But… that's… you're crazy."

"Maybe," she remarked with a tired, overstressed laugh, "but if that's really where Galatea's headed, then that's where I'm going too."

"And you're going to do this all by yourself?"

"Not by herself," another female voice answered from behind the big man. He turned around to face the steel-eyed leader of the Knight Sabers, standing upright on her own two feet, her face full of grim determination. "I've got some unfinished business with that bitch as well."

"Sylia…" Priss' voice trailed off.

"We're all Knight Sabers. If one of us is in trouble, we'll fight back as a team because that's what we do. No matter what's happened between us up until now, we're still a team. Besides, I've dragged all of you into this and I'm not going to let you or Nene take up this fight without me now."

_To be continued…_


	6. Ch 5: Cold Fire

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

Ch. 5 – Cold Fire

Leon slowly stepped out of the shop, the first fresh cup of hot tea he'd had in the last month held possessively in his tired hands. He stood on the sidewalk, glancing back at the military checkpoint he and Henderson along with the comatose Mackey and Nigel had just passed through… the boundary layer guarding Tokyo. As he looked past the soldiers standing guard at the makeshift gate at the bridge, his thoughts turned back to the woman he had reluctantly let go of … "Priss, I hope you make it back. Maybe if you do, we'll still have a chance…"

He turned his gaze skyward, up towards the direction of the skyhook, space umbrella, and Galatea… three points converging into one final battle. Even if he hoped for the best, he wasn't going to kid himself over the odds. The last few weeks fighting against Galatea's boomer minions had taught him enough of that painful lesson.

Shouts of anger drew his attention back to Earth once more, his tired eyes focusing on a disturbance centered at the checkpoint. Guards were pushing back someone, a human attempting to enter the boomer controlled area.

"I've got to go find her!"

"No civilians are allowed in. End of story!"

"Out of my way!" the blond haired man pushed as he managed to force around one guard… before two more grabbed onto his arms. "Let me go!"

"Relax for a minute buddy. Just who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a woman named Linna Yamazaki! I know she's in there. Her parents said she stayed behind to try and help!"

Leon nearly dropped his tea, as his ears heard what he couldn't believe the man had said. He took his badge out and calmly walked up to the checkpoint. "Hey guys," he started disarmingly, "why don't you let me help this one out?" he offered, flashing the badge while looking confidently into the blond haired man's eyes.

"Hey I don't think the ADP has any authority…"

"I have information on a Linna Yamazaki. I think I'll be able to take him off your hands."

That was one offer none of the overworked soldiers could refuse.

The blond haired man's attention was fully turned on Leon from the instant he mentioned Linna's name. "So what do you know? Is she alright?" he asked rapidly.

"Hang on a sec," Leon answered under his breath, pulling the man away from the soldiers and back towards the shop. "By the way, name's Leon McNichol," he offered extending his hand.

"Masaki Yoshida," the other responded anxiously, giving Leon a quick shake as they strode up to the shop.

Leon stopped at the entrance and looked behind him at the van parked on the side of the road. "Just a second," he threw out while walking over to the van, tea in hand.

Masaki watched while the tall man briefly spoke to an elderly gentleman. Leon quickly finished and met Masaki at the front of the store.

"Lets go inside and get a couple of drinks. I have a feeling I'll be needing something stronger than this tea very shortly."

Masaki didn't understand just what he meant but followed anyway, his curiosity drowning out any other concerns he might have had at the moment.

After finding a quiet booth in the back, Masaki was first to start up. "What do you know about Linna? It's not good news, is it?"

"Well," Leon started, drawing a deep breath, "I don't really know how she is at the moment, but I do know she was still alive as of yesterday."

"Yesterday? What happened?"

Leon backpedaled mentally as he considered where to start. "Just how much do you know about what Linna was doing here?"

"Well, I know she used to work for Hugh Geit, although her parents said that wasn't the reason she came back. I think it might have been…" he started before trailing off uncertain.

"… some other job maybe?" Leon tried to guess.

"No, some other person… someone named Priss," he answered just as the human waitress walked up to their secluded booth.

"What can I get you two?"

Leon was very quick to order. "The strongest you've got."

"Make that two," Masaki replied in kind.

"Can't say I blame either of you from what I've seen around here lately," she replied with a chuckle. "Be right back."

As the waitress walked off to fill the order, quiet introspection filled the small space between the two men.

Leon thought about the name Masaki had said, the name that had erased any doubts he might have had before if the Linna he was looking for was the same one that had pulled his Priss into space. "Well, you're not too far from the truth with your suspicion. But there's another 'link' between them than you might suspect," Leon explained with more meanings behind his words than even he intended…

* * *

Priss stared off into the blank emptiness of outer space. It's cold loneliness kept her company, staying by her side as the transport ship of the skyhook drew ever closer to her rendezvous with the devil-child Galatea… and hopefully closer to a still alive and well Linna. 

A soft moan pulled her attention away from the window and over to the stirring form of the White Saber. "About time you finally woke up Sylia."

"Unn, my head," she complained, propping herself up on one arm. "Priss don't ever, _ever_ do that again."

"You probably won't have to worry about that. After we get done with Galatea, the skyhook probably won't be in one piece anymore."

Sylia nodded solemnly, quietly agreeing to their likely fate… not that it deterred her from the task at hand. Getting her feet steadied beneath her, she stood up and stretched out her aches and pains from the reckless pursuit of the delivery vehicle. "Where's Nene?"

"Little Miss Cyberpunk is already hacking into the boomer driving this thing."

"She's doing what!"

"Said she wanted to get a better view of what was going on at the umbrella before we got there."

"Oh, that sounds a little more reasonable," she breathed out, somewhat relieved that the young woman wasn't trying to transform the transport ship into some sort of suicide weapon… which had honestly been one of her own less inspired thoughts while trying to catch their ride into space. Turning to more logical thoughts of available weaponry, another question came to mind. "What about the motoslave?"

"I've already said my goodbyes to him," Priss remarked sullenly, walking past Sylia and up the ladder to the control room.

"Him?" Sylia questioned disbelievingly, unable to imagine that those words had actually come from the same woman who had not so long ago quit the Knight Sabers over the fact that her hardsuit was a boomer…

* * *

"Knight Sabers? But, I didn't think…" 

"That they really existed? Just an urban legend… at least that's the way GENOM wanted to keep it. It wasn't so easy for me to believe their lies though. Every time we'd go out to stop a rogue boomer, they'd be there first… live, in person," Leon added with a chuckle, not that he had been laughing back then.

"So, they actually stopped all those rogue boomers?" Masaki asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, just a few women taking on all of them."

"And Linna did that too?"

"Well, not as much as Priss did. Linna joined them not too long ago. In fact, she almost got herself killed the first time she went out."

"Wow, but… was that when she was hurt?"

"No, that happened a couple of months later, right after one of the military's assault boomers went rogue."

"No wonder. So it was a military boomer…"

"No, not that either. Actually it happened while she was fighting her office manager."

"Her office manager?"

"Yeah, it caught her off guard when it went rogue. But it wasn't the boomer that did that to her."

"It wasn't?"

"No. It was Priss."

* * *

"… _priss…"_ the young woman croaked out from her semiconscious state. 

_"Ah, I see that you have regained consciousness now," _an out of body voice spoke from all around her dark surroundings.

"Wh… where am I?" she struggled, trying to orient herself to the darkness all around. Slowly she became aware of only one thing… the pain. "Uhhh, wh… what…" the woman tried to bring a hand to her suddenly pounding head, but found herself unable to move, her arms securely bound by cold, unforgiving material, a material that firmly supported her weight all over her exposed body. With that discovery came the realization that she had no clothing, no hardsuit, and no idea where she was… until the first horrifying memories came back to her… flying to the tower… looking for the other Knight Sabers… her hardsuit suddenly freezing… then the face of her tormentor…

But just as Linna recalled the detailed features of that face, it suddenly appeared on top of a full body image, simply materializing from thin air to hover directly in front of her, illuminating the surrounding metal jungle.

_"I'm sorry for having to subject you to this level of discomfort. However, I need your conscious mind to be active in order for the next part of this task to be successful." _

Linna whispered the name of that image from the depths of her worst nightmare come true…_"…Galatea…"

* * *

_

"GALATEA, WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BITCH!" Priss screamed out into space, standing by a maintenance port of the space umbrella. After ejecting from the doomed skyhook vehicle, she had first made sure that Sylia and Nene were safely out of harms way then quickly flew over to their objective… the rendezvous point with Linna's kidnapper.

"Priss, let's stick to the plan! Find the power core and take it out. Nene will hack into the control system while I work on the interconnecting wiring. Once we take away Galatea's other _toys_, she'll have no other choice but to face us."

"_Then she's mine,"_ the Blue Knight promised, cracking her knuckles through the armor, wincing as a sharp pain shot down her arm from her broken finger… pain that was just a further reminder of just exactly why she was here… and who she was still looking for…

* * *

"Linna just doesn't seem like the type of person to do that kind of thing. I mean, she was really athletic in school and all, but why would she run out and live the life of a vigilante?" 

"Priss told me that she joined because she wanted to try and help other people."

"That makes sense I guess. She did seem to really stand up for what she believed in from what I remember. But when she got hurt… when she found out she'd never be able to have kids, it all seemed to change…"

* * *

Something felt very, very wrong. Linna didn't know exactly what, but she could tell that something had been done. "Wh… what did you do to me?" she weakly croaked out in the direction of the ghostly apparition floating in her field of vision, barely able to lift up her head due to the pain and exhaustion. It was very similar to another feeling she'd had before… almost like her body felt when she had first awoken in the hospital after the accident… 

_"I've taken care of some of your body's previous limitations. I find it… ironic… Whereas a human has taken away your fertility before, I, an artificial being created by humans, have restored it… in a manner of speaking," _she spoke with unmoving lips, lips that grew into a very, very sinister grin…

The woman's eyes popped open wide in shock. Her body began to shudder uncontrollably from horrid thoughts of what Galatea might be referring to. "What the hell do you mean 'restored'?"

_"You don't need to trouble yourself with the details human. Just understand that your body now serves a new god… along with something else that you previously controlled as well," _the glowing she-demon continued to explain as a dark shape moved from the shadows and into the green light given off by Galatea.

Linna thought she recognized the shape, but the fact that it didn't look as she remembered set off even more alarms in her mind, her terrified body shaking even harder within the confines of her binds. "Is that… my hardsuit?"

The shape resolved under the green light into a figure very reminiscent of the Green Hardsuit. But while the basics, female form, mononuclear ribbons, orange visor, were intact, the myriad of other modifications caused Linna's stomach to churn even more. Some type of arm-mounted weapon had apparently been added along with what appeared to be knucklebombs on both hands along with general armored bulk. More than anything else, the changes set one thing in Linna's mind… this wasn't her hardsuit anymore…

_"Your suspicions are correct Knight Saber. This isn't just one of your mindless tools any longer," _Galatea boasted, reading into Linna's darkest fears. _"I've returned the soul back to this boomer… and it is only appropriate for you to experience it first hand," _the demonness added with a further twist of her emerald lips.

Galatea's newest member of her boomer army closed the small gap between itself and its former owner, outstretching one armored hand towards Linna's prone head.

"NO! What… what are you doing?" The protests fell on unresponsive receiving circuits as the Green Hardsuit's hand methodically clamped down onto her forehead, dampening her shivering form. The lower part of the hand was still visible to Linna's shocked eyes, unfortunately unable to tear away from the sight. A hellish green glow signaled the onrush of an instant migraine… just as the boomer began to feed parts of its very core through the link she had formerly established so innocently with it.

As the unspeakable evil tortured her soul, pockets of air still remaining in the space borne tower filled with the woman's agony as she screamed over and over again.

* * *

"My god, that… that's horrible. So… so Priss was the one that caused Linna to lose her fertility?" Masaki asked in shock. 

"Yeah. And that really crushed Priss too. She took it real hard. The fact that Linna left Tokyo didn't help either. Then, she got this e-mail from her…" Leon trailed off.

"Wait, I think I get the next part. Linna told her she still wanted to see her, right?"

"Yeah, how did… oh... You were there, at that fountain, right?"

"Yeah," Masaki groaned. "That was… well… I could see why Priss would make a good Knight Saber. She scared the hell out of me, and she wasn't even wearing any armor!"

"She does have that effect on people," Leon agreed. "If you think she's dangerous outside of her hardsuit, you should see her in it…"

* * *

The doubly thick metal doors might have withstood any normal attack. However, the supercharged knucklebomb coupled with the woman's rage doomed the barrier to its fate. The explosion rocked into the chamber on the other side, allowing the Blue Saber to storm in… only to stop dead in her tracks at the hellish sight within… 

"Shit! What are those?"

"Priss! What's wrong?" Sylia shouted through the com circuit.

"I think we're too late. Galatea's already here," she answered, staring at the mass of something appearing to be huge clumps of eggs in place of what should have been solar battery cells stacked one on top of the other.

"What do you mean she's already here! We're supposed to have at least another twenty minutes, right Nene?"

"Well, she may not be here physically," Nene answered as she probed the computer interface links into the solar reflector control system, "but the phenomenon is already infecting the circuitry. I can feel her influence in the computer core already. Yuck!"

"Okay then," the White Knight regrouped, "we'll just have to take her on now. Priss, can you handle it by yourself while I cut the power feeders?"

"Sure I can," the Blue Saber answered, anxiously charging her knucklebomb again. She charged in and smashed into the first egg in the pack. It's gelatin interior gurgled and boiled over as the arm mounted weapon discharged, expunging the strange, organic fluid onto the cold metal floor. "God, what is this stuff?"

The 'eggs' responded as four of them dispatched from their endangered pack, supernaturally floating up before shooting directly at the startled Priss.

"Damnit! They can fly?" She dodged one to the left before two more converged, ramming into the suit and driving it back into the wall, her feet drawing sparks against the metal floor the whole way.

The orbs pressed into the hardsuit, pushing the air out of her lungs.

_Can't… stop, Linna… must find… her… _Priss' breathing quickened, her adrenaline compensating with a short pulse of energy. She twisted sideways between the two then flashed one leg up with her ankle bombers, puncturing the thick outer shell.

It fell away gushing fluids over the cold floor. The other met a similar fate at the business end of a knucklebomb.

The two remaining eggs from the first group attacked as four more detached from the mass and flew in right behind them.

"_Damn… I knew this wasn't going to be easy,"_ Priss muttered under her breath as she threw out a double punch, managing to take out the first two simultaneously even as the next wave swarmed in as one….

* * *

_"So they've followed me all the way up here have they? What is the key to their persistence? Why do they risk so much to ultimately gain so little?" _As the boomer god continued her ascent towards the umbrella, she tracked the availability of power to the solar reflectors and smiled inwardly at the progress of her plan. _"Their interference is insignificant. Just a few more minutes and the sun will deliver its energy to the panels. Then I will begin the transformation of the planet below. Shortly the entire Earth will serve my will." _

With that task well in hand, her calculating mind turned to other pursuits… and perhaps, one more game. While checking on the status of the foreign invaders attempting to tamper with her plans, a counter plan came to mind. With a mere thought, mirror images of the three remaining Knight Sabers formed themselves from the phenomenon flowing through the space umbrella. But that was only a distraction for the ultimate goal of this particular game…

Another part of the child-god monitored her unconscious human specimen within her current physical embodiment, the key to her next ascent. From those experiments came one further question… the question that would provide not only a goal for her game, but an answer to one of her most deep rooted questions. _"Which is a stronger human emotion? Is it love as so much of human literature claims, or is it actually the overpowering aura of hate that can prevail over all?" _

The translucent image of Galatea hovered in front of the now unaware human, and with one of her 'hands' gently reached out and stroked the back of Linna's head, stroking it in almost a 'motherly' fashion. Behind Galatea the Green Hardsuit's orange visor flashed with a series of complex patterns, acknowledging the newly received orders from its new master…

* * *

The last detached 'egg' sunk to the floor in ruins as Priss readied herself for the next wave… except it didn't come from the source she expected. A hammer blow to her back sent the Blue Saber sprawling towards the floor. 

"D… damn, where did that come from?" she turned over on the cold metal surface to stare up into a ghostly image of her own hardsuit. "What the…"

"Priss, Sylia, we've got trouble," Nene announced over the circuit.

"It wouldn't happen to be our 'better halves' would it?" Priss quipped back.

"So you have one too?" Sylia added staring into her own light colored reflection.

"Yeah, but that's not the worst of it. The umbrella's almost into the sunlight and I'm locked out of the controls here," Nene reported.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to shut down the power from here," the Blue Knight reported.

Sylia drew her blade out, only to have her doppelganger flash hers in return. "We've got to come up with something," she added through her mounting frustrations, unable to either think of another way or even guess at Galatea's next move…

* * *

"As a group they seem like they would be so strong. From the way you talk about them, I'm surprised anything was able to get past them." 

"You haven't seen what they're up against this time," Leon added darkly, taking a long swig from his tall glass.

"So it's really that bad then. I've heard stories, tales of boomers changing into zombies, slaughtering people by the dozens."

Leon took another long drink, empting the glass and pounding it into the table. "Not just people, people I knew. People I worked with. We were built to try and deal with those things, but we never had a chance in hell. But it's not the boomers that are so bad, its what's controlling them."

"Controlling them? What is it?"

"A creation of the inventor of boomer technology. It was the prototype from which all the other boomers were built. It was trapped underneath Tokyo, but got released."

"Who released it?"

"Genom was pulling the strings, but… they didn't release it. It was the Knight Sabers… they did it to themselves." With that, Leon held his glass high in the air, signaling for another tall refill.

* * *

After reaching open space and with room to finally maneuver, the shining blade cut through her opponent with the ease of mastery Sylia had achieved through years of hardened practice. "Nothing but cheap imitations. Nene, are you okay?" the Knight Saber's leader called out to the one she was most concerned for. 

The Red Knight was just putting the finishing spikes into her own opponent. It dissolved into the nothingness from which it came, evaporating into the vacuum of cold space.

"No match for the real thing Sylia. No problems here, except…" she trailed off, recognizing the bright light beginning to shine inside of her self-correcting visor, "… the sun! Sylia, the canon!"

"Priss, we're out of time! Where are you?"

"Just finishing this little dance," she shot out, flashing a right hook while trailing with a left anklebomb. The fist missed, but drew the expected weave from the construct. The anklebomb found the side of her target's helmet, exploding with a gratuitous pop. The pale colored fake dissipated in the hallway where the battle had migrated.

"See, it's not the boomer on the outside that matters, its what's on the inside that counts," Priss chided, then bringing her hand to cover her heart at the memory of who had said that to her last… and just what had happened afterwards…

"Oh no, Sylia, I'm detecting a power surge!" Nene cried out.

"I'll try and stop it in here," Priss offered, charging her knucklebombs in preparation for yet another try at the power station.

"No time," the White Knight answered short, her mind spinning as she tried to think of a quick solution.

"Wait! What if I can get control of the refractor lens on the delivery barrel? I should be able to stop it while you guys take down the infrastructure."

"Go for it Nene. Be careful though. Priss?"

"I'm on it," she answered, shooting down the hallway and towards the power center once more.

Nene flew out to the end of the cannon shaped delivery system, deploying her interface cables directly into a maintenance port of the reflecting lens. "Now if I can just angle it right…"

As she delved into the circuitry, a queasy feeling permeated through her hardsuit and directly into her skin as feedback from the corrupted wiring resisted her attempts. _"This… isn't… easy…"_

A sudden ramp of energy through the conduits surrounding the control panel signaled the beginning of the attempted transmission. Nene was quick with the countermove.

"Just… keep the lens… off center…" A bright flash pulsed out of the cannon… but the blast flared out in all directions as Nene's control over the focusing lens dispersed the blast harmlessly into the upper atmosphere. "Did it!" As her body continued the fight, her mind reflected back on why she was doing this, and the being that she was still fighting for, until a strange sensation distracted her from the task… "Nene" The voice resonated in her head, causing the confused blond haired girl to turn her head around to see where the familiar voice had come from. "Mackey?" "Nene" The voice repeated, but this time she felt a sense of direction. Flashing her visor back towards the base of the canon, her eyes focused on a strange shape floating towards her. It almost appeared to be a human shape… a very familiar one at that… "Mackey… is that you?" 

The joyous confusion swelled within her heart as her love appeared to be impossibly joining her in space, distracting the young girl even further… just far enough to be caught completely off guard when the shape transformed itself into another familiar form… the form of a Green Hardsuit…

"Linna?" was all Nene could get out before the Hardsuit extended a blade and sliced down into the unprepared Red Saber.

* * *

"I remember the first time I saw Linna after her accident. She had only been home for a few days and was already on her feet, getting ready for a walk back behind her house." 

"She certainly seems like the determined type from what I've seen of her," Leon agreed

"She is, but it wasn't determination so much back then. I didn't know it at the time, but she was upset… upset over Priss I think. She had a real temper. Just like her father actually. When Priss… well, when Priss and Linna had their 'run-in' at the fountain, her Dad blamed me for her state afterwards. Man was he tough for an old guy."

"No way."

"Yeah. He took this jacket and threw it over my head while I was sitting at my desk at work," Masaki laughed.

"Why?"

"So I couldn't defend myself I guess. He really laid into me after that. I never want to cross that guy again."

"Reminds me a little of the first time I saw the Knight Saber's new hardsuits," Leon reminisced.

"How's that?"

"Well, we had just about had it when the Green Saber flew down from the sky out of no where. She took on about a hundred boomers at once. They never knew what hit them…"

* * *

Nene never had a chance to comprehend what was happening. One second, she was diffusing the energy release from the cannon. The next, something resembling the Green Hardsuit was streaking towards her, about to cut her hardsuit in half with a blade drawn from its right arm. The only thing she had time to do was react. Her reflexes chose the direction, right, and her body shifted her armor, igniting thrusters to dodge out of the way. It worked, almost… 

The blade just missed her visor, but cut down through most of the cables connecting her suit to the reflector of the canon. In an instant most of the signals were broken. But in that same instant, Nene realized she was in serious trouble.

Inside the canon the lens pitched wildly, focusing the beam back inside the thin wall of the elongated structure. Still attached to the doomed machine with her lone remaining cable, Nene had a spectacularly horrifying view of the explosion…

* * *

"Linna?" 

Nene's voice resonated inside Priss' heart like lighthouse, piercing the mental fog around her current battle hardened mind. Not quite to the power station again, she stopped on a dime and turned back towards where the Red Saber had gone to carry out her mission.

"Nene, what did you say? Linna? Where? Where is she Nene?"

The only answer the Blue Knight received was a huge jolt under her feet as the entire structure rumbled with the force of the canon exploding just outside of the main structure. "What the Hell was that!"

"I don't know. I'm going to check it out now," Sylia answered worriedly. "Nene? Nene, can you still hear me? What happened?"

A tense silence filled the airwaves as the two remaining Sabers hurried to check the status of their missing teammate.

Priss was first to get to the access hatch. The crumpled door didn't appear to be in working order, so she gave it a swift kick. It flew off its warped hinges, giving Priss a perfect view into the shattered remains of the umbrella's energy transfer barrel.

"Oh God…" 

"Priss, what's wrong?" Sylia cried out, the dread in Priss' voice bearing her fears of the worst.

Growing static was all she heard in turn.

"Priss? Priss, can you hear me?"

"Sylia… it… it's gone…" was all the Blue Saber could answer with, although she never heard Sylia's other questions. The return of static was all she received. "Sylia?" Priss turned back towards the passageway, about to search out her leader when a streak out of the corner of her vision pulled her attention back outside.

Sticking her head out of the ruined doorway, she cocked her neck around and caught glimpse of an object soaring through the dissipating debris field. Looking across the now desolate base of the cannon, the object landed on the surface of the umbrella and faced towards Priss. The outline was unmistakable to the desperate Saber. "Linna? Linna, is that you?"

Static continued to answer her pleas as the confused Priss took a few cautious steps on her magnetic soles towards the motionless Green Hardsuit. The other armored form suddenly turned around then ducked into another access hatch at its feet, disappearing into the interior sections of the umbrella.

"Linna, wait up!" Priss didn't hesitate as her heart led the way, completely blocking out everything else but what had pulled her up into space in the first place, completely forgetting about her other Knight Sabers… one possibly already dead, the other about to be in serious trouble…

* * *

"Priss? Nene? Can anyone hear me?" Sylia hurried towards the outer section of the umbrella, scampering through corridors as fast as the programmed layout updated on the inside of her visor. Nearly at an outer door, she came to a tee in the dark hallway; glancing down the other direction before turning they way she was supposed to go. Her feet stopped before her mind comprehended what she had just seen down the other end of the corridor. Sylia slowly turned her head around, and then quickly snapped her whole body to face the other direction as her eyes confirmed her fears… 

"… _Galatea…"_

The ghostly apparition didn't attempt to communicate with her. Rather, it simply floated backwards, away from her and deeper into the shadowy parts of the corrupted structure.

"Come back here!" the White Saber yelled out, breaking into a dead sprint to try and catch her hovering nightmare.

Through several twists and turns, Sylia chased after her accursed obsession. At each corner, she would catch a fleeting glimpse of her tormentor who would quickly disappear down yet another dimming passageway. She reached the end of a long access tunnel and turned left, only to stop dead in her tracks. Standing in the center of the passageway was something other than Galatea… it was an apparition of Nigel. Sylia was ready this time…

Blade drawn she stalked up to the falsehood before her. "It won't work this time Galatea. I'm through with your games."

"Not quite Sylia," 'Nigel' answered, holding out his hand invitingly just as he had the last time Galatea had used him against her.

"Think I'm going to fall for that again? You're severely underestimating me Galatea!" she warned, flashing up her blade as she prepared to cut down into the ploy of the child-god.

Sylia was sufficiently focused on her target, ready for whatever it might try. She wasn't ready for the true nature of the attack however. A metal strand shot out from behind the White Saber, planting itself on the back of the hardsuit's vulnerable neck. A jolt of energy shot through the cord and directly into Sylia's nervous system, instantly paralyzing the White Knight, dropping her to the ground in a heap. The only thing Sylia saw was a blinding flash of white light laced with tingling drops of pain… then total darkness…

The faint hum of machinery coupled with distant sirens drew Sylia from her momentary reprieve. She lumbered upright, an awkward feeling permeating throughout her sore body. "Wh… what happened?"

"I have brought you here sister. I wanted to show you something, something I think you've taken for granted all these years."

The haunting voice of Galatea opened Sylia's eyes to a bloody sight. All around her lay the dead bodies of AD Police officers. Their crimson puddles soaked the floor of the manufacturing plant she now found herself in. Something about the plant looked eerily familiar…

"You've spent all of your time and energy trying to kill what was born from you, and yet you have no idea of what you have truly put your children through Sylia."

An ominous premonition flashed through her mind of what the child-god might be hinting of. She lifted her hands before her face, twisted, deformed metal hands, confirming her worst fears. "What have you done!"

"Even though this may not be real Sylia, it will serve as a valuable lesson for you sister. You will now be able to see life through your children's eyes much as I have for all these years. Your Knight Sabers have slain many of the boomers created from our very souls, and now your soul will know their suffering as well."

"There it is," a tone of voice Sylia had heard too many times not to instantly recognize.

"Wait! This is one of our old missions. This is from six months ago. That boomer only lasted a few seconds though… a few seconds and… oh no… Priss! Wait! Don't!" she tried to cry out to the Blue Saber perched inside a large open window at the top of the factory wall, only to find her own voice modulated into incoherent screams and monstrous bellowing.

"Oooh, that's an ugly one," her Red armored companion spoke next to her, "and it's making such an awful racket."

"It won't be for long," Priss promised, hopping down from the windowsill to land just in front of the startled 'boomer'.

Sylia tried to step back but found her mutated legs getting in the way. Startled, she tripped over her own bulk and crashed hard to the ground. The Blue Knight wasn't sympathetic in the least.

"Ugly, clumsy, and now dead," the singer's voice resonated inside of Sylia's stone frozen heart… a heart that was swiftly ripped from her chest as Priss punched through the 'boomer's' metal frame.

The gutting sensation felt all too real for the screaming Sylia. Her eyes jerked wide open as the Blue Knight held out her still beating heart right in front of her face… then crushed the life from it with a brutal squeeze of her cold metal fingers…

* * *

Her heart hammering in her chest, the Blue Knight chased after her own obsession. Around countless twists and turns she followed the Green Hardsuit deeper and deeper into the core of the space umbrella. "Linna! Wait! What's going on? Just stop already!" she yelled in growing frustration. But the other armored figure didn't stop or for that matter give any other indication that it heard or understood what she was saying. 

Finally Priss turned one last corner, finding the Green Hardsuit hesitating in an opened doorway.

Upon seeing the blue armored figure, it ducked into the doorway allowing a heavy door to automatically close behind it.

Cautiously approaching the door, Priss checked her virtual map to gage her location. It wasn't any help as it informed her that the door she was standing in front of didn't exist. "Terrific," she sarcastically commented to the useless aid.

The door slid open without warning, momentarily startling the lone Saber. The dark interior on the other side hid much from her vision, but she was able to make out a single figure standing motionless at the center of the large space. "Linna, is that you?" she asked again, taking a few anxious steps towards what she thought was her teammate.

The door slid closed behind her, once again startling Priss for just a brief moment before she focused on the object of her pursuit again. Examining the other hardsuit closer, Priss noticed details that failed to set her nerves at ease. While the general outline was the same, subtle differences warned her that this was not the same Green Saber that she was looking for. "Who are you?"

No verbal response was forthcoming from the statuesque figure facing off across from her, the only sound a light hissing noise emanating from the walls. Priss thought of one way to possibly make sure of what was before her, given that her own hardsuit's scan's were inconclusive. Projecting her thoughts inward, she searched for the familiar mental signal she so desperately wanted to find. Scouring her inner self for the bridge to the mental link she shared with Linna. Priss did find a faint sense of being from the other hardsuit. However, that sense was only the familiar iciness of a cold, emotionless boomer, not the human she was hoping to find. Another faint ping drew her eyes open though, past the hardsuit and into a doorway on the opposite side of the large empty room they now stood in.

"There. Linna must be there. So that's it. Another test is it? Well, come on then!" she roared, springing at the motionless Green Hardsuit.

Unfortunately for Priss, it didn't stay motionless for long…

* * *

"They both seem really tough on the outside," Masaki commented. 

"Well, I know Priss can be pretty darn stubborn on the inside too. And I know they had at least one huge fight when Linna came back to Tokyo."

"Really? What happened?"

"I didn't hear all the details, but Priss found Linna with the other Knight Sabers and then…" Leon trailed off once more.

"What?" Masaki questioned impatently.

"… well, Priss can be pretty cruel sometimes. She punched Linna… in her stomach… the same place she got hurt in the accident."

"Damn! Why the Hell would she do that!"

"It was complicated at the time. Remember that thing I told you about that was controlling the boomers? Well, it had screwed around with Priss' head just before that. I didn't know just how bad off Priss was at the time," Leon assessed his hindsight.

"So, did Linna have to go back to the hospital again?"

"No, she actually fought back," Leon smirked

"No way!"

"Yeah, like I said, they can both be pretty stubborn at times. But when they have a problem with each other, just stay out of the way 'cause getting too close is worse than throwing gas on a fire…"

* * *

_Damn it's fast _Priss realized as she narrowly avoided the mononuclear ribbons cutting through the thin space separating the two combatants. She neatly dodged a kick from one of its airborne legs as she ducked low, then sprung up with a lightning left jab. It landed on the hardsuit's shoulder, spinning the Green armor backwards as Priss pressed her advantage. Vectoring in at an angle, she caught the boomer still trying to regain its footing. The former gang member slammed down with a double axe-handle blow to the head, knocking it nearly to the ground. 

The Green Hardsuit dropped to one knee, but flashed back with an uppercut that caught Priss offguard… but didn't connect. Spinning around to avoid the punch, the former gang member used her momentum to deliver a wicked kick to the side of the surprised Hardsuit.

It sailed back under the force of the blow, sliding along the floor under the force of the micro gravity present in the room. Priss crouched low to pounce once again when a blinking light inside of the visor distracted her. "What now?" she asked rhetorically at the signal, noting that her sensors now registered a breathable atmosphere in the room. "What's going on?" A movement in front of her vision pulled her attention back to the fight at hand.

The hardsuit stood up, shaking its arm in a very lifelike manner. It sprung back at Priss, flashing out a very ominous looking blade from its left arm in the process.

Priss didn't have too much time to react, dodging to the side as the blade swiped beside her. She threw out a quick right, just catching the green armor in the back as it passed by. "No matter what you dress up the outside like, it's still just an empty boomer on the inside."

The hardsuit stumbled slightly, caught itself and quickly turned to face its human opponent once more. It crouched down while Priss readied herself for another pass, taking the time to charge her knucklebomb this time. _Need to end this quick. I've got to find Linna. _

The Green Hardsuit flinched, only feigning an attack this time, then slowly stood upright, confusing the Blue Knight.

"Grrr, what are you up to Galatea?" Priss spat out as the Green Hardsuit lifted its right hand to its head, then tapped the side of its helmet with one finger. It only took a second for Priss to realize what it meant…

Her thoughts flew back to the first time she had met Linna, after she had fallen, and her own motion of pointing out the cut… and her use of that same motion later to calm her fears so that she could save her life, a motion that unknowingly led to Linna joining the Knight Sabers…

Priss was lost deep in the past when her visor filled with the flying Green Hardsuit. A cold metal fist slammed against the side of her helmet before she could react, her neck snapping back and bouncing off the unforgiving wall behind her. The Green Armor followed up with two hammer blows to Priss' stomach, driving the air from her lungs while dropping her to the ground. Through her star filled vision the human saw an armored toe sail directly at her head, the entire force of the Hardsuit's powerful leg actuators behind the kick that Priss had no hope of avoiding…

* * *

Needles jabbed through every centimeter of Sylia's body, piercing her will with the frigid reality of death. Darkness closed in all around as her eyes faded shut, the battle lost, the fire within the burning soul extinguished. Her ears heard one final phrase… "This one's done. What's next Sylia?" … before eternal silence drowned out the world from existence. 

Galatea's permeating voice penetrated the blanketing darkness. "Do you see now, Sylia? Do you see what you have spent your life doing?"

The light and sound was suddenly witched on… only for Sylia to realize she was still alive, her heart beating once more, but beating once again within a boomer's body. Her frayed nerves were just starting to recover when the crashing rapport of gunfire shattered them anew.

Stings of hardened bullets pounded against her dense metal frame, the enraged confusion of the boomer's core feeding its insanity back into Sylia's captive soul. She screamed as the pain swelled inside of her brain, lashing out into the darkness illuminated by the muzzles of machine gun fire. Some were silenced, while others answered her attacks.

"Stop it!" she yelled out in the animalistic language no human could understand, thrashing out against her attackers. Raising a grotesque appendage to squash one ADP officer, he cowered from her bulk, dropping his weapon as he feared the end. Sylia was too enraged to notice, striking down blindly. Her arm never made it to the target…

The appendage fell uselessly to the ground, severed at her shoulder by a something behind her.

"Nice work Linna!" she heard Nene's voice congratulate.

_Oh God… not again… _

"I'll take it from here," Priss added, the Blue Saber emerging from the darkness to strike into Sylia's chest once again, gripping her heart with armored fingers, viscously ripping the life pumping organ from her body once more, holding up the prize before Sylia's horrified boomer eyes… then once more crushing out the fluids from the heart of the Knight Saber's leader, Sylia's bulk falling forward lifelessly as the darkness closed in again…

Galatea reached inside the shell of the dead boomer and lifted Sylia's fragile soul into her arms. Holding the small, glowing orb arching inside with fits of terror, she lifted it to her eyes and spoke calmly to that soul. "You see sister, there is much evil in this world. Unfortunately, you have been the cause of far too much of it… and there is so much more that I must show you. And since my other tasks, and my newest boomer creation, are progressing safely and effectively now, I can give you much of my attention now as you so rightly deserve."

With that, Galatea shifted the reality around her into yet another scenario from the checkered past of Sylia Stingray and the Knight Sabers, while only diverting a small amount of her consciousness to monitor the developments elsewhere in the floating space structure now transformed into her own personal Hell…

* * *

Holding her hands to either side of her helmet, Priss tried to clear out the cobwebs and an incessant ringing that wouldn't go away. "Hnng, what hit me?" she weakly croaked out, putting one shaky foot underneath her body, slowly lifting herself upright. Shaking her head, the memories flashed back to her in an instant… and instant that probably saved her life. 

Priss looked up at the recollection of fighting the alien Green Hardsuit, then just ducked out of the way of a slicing attack from its arm-mounted saber. She thrust out with a foot, catching her armored attacker off guard and knocking it backwards… but not back far enough…

Before the Blue Knight could fully regain her footing, the Green Hardsuit recovered and was on her again, ramming into her with a lowered shoulder, driving Priss back into the metal wall. It backed away a couple of steps and let the human stumble forward, breathless. It then thrust out with both heavily armored arms, slamming her back into the wall again, jarring her head in the process. The Blue Saber bounced off the metal wall again, only to be repeatedly jammed back into the still unforgiving steel. The Green Hardsuit continued to abuse the dazed Saber, jarring her head as it banged again and again against the solid structure.

Finally Priss dropped to one knee, her shaking arms outstretched for support, hanging onto the unfeeling armor standing over her. The faceless orange visor looked down into the prone form heaving at her armored feet. It raised its left arm, drawing forth the sharp blade once again. Striking down, it aimed for the wobbly head of its victim, bringing finality to the conflict… only to have the human's helmet roll out of the way as the last instant, then getting its feet taken out from underneath it by a swift leg sweep.

The artificial gravity was enough to pull the Green Hardsuit to the ground and Priss was quick to try and take advantage. "I will not quit!" Priss screamed, even with unsure feet slightly staggering after the imposter denying her search. She stomped down with her own armored heels, kicking into the side of the bulky Hardsuit rolling on the cold metal floor. "I WILL NOT…" Priss started while cocking back and driving a sharp blow in its midsection with the point of her toe, "… STOP UNTIL…" continuing by loading up her right knucklebomb, aiming for its prone back, "… I FIND…" then throwing her whole body behind the punch, let go with a haymaker right hook, "… LINNA!" The force of the blow was enough to blast right through both sides of the Hardsuit… except it wasn't there by the time Priss' fist arrived at the target.

It unexpectedly rolled towards the startled Blue Saber, grabbling onto her errant punch as the Green Hardsuit stood up. Straightening out the human's arm, the power-augmented arms gave a snap twist to the prone appendage.

Priss screamed as she felt the pop in her shoulder. But before she could even try and brace herself the pain tripled in intensity as the Green Hardsuit twisted back and folded the arm behind her now dislocated shoulder.

It put all of its force behind the helpless Blue Knight as it ran straight for the closest wall it could find, igniting thrusters to add even more momentum to the attack. The force of the impact echoed inside the enclosed room like an underground subway train wreck.

Priss barely knew what was happening before fire erupted on her entire right side, her shoulder driven unmercifully into the wall, another muffled pop reverberating through her spine, the world turning to nothing but stars in her eyes. Time ceased to exist for the injured woman, nausea washing through her resolve despite the fire of determination still burning deep within her soul. The pain succumbed to numbness as blackness encroached all around, awareness leaving her senses. But still Priss held on…

She concentrated on what she still could, images of Linna filling her mind. She tried to focus, finding a continual source of disturbance in her shoulder. Recognizing the pressure pinching her nerve, she concentrated inwardly, finding her armor distorted from the blow. _Got to… straighten… it out… _

Using the same thought processes to form her metal shell, she willed the Hardsuit back to its original shape, the circulation beginning to return once again to her damaged arm. With the blood returning, so did the pain. Priss bit her lip as her vision began to clear, awareness returning shortly thereafter. She put her shaking left hand over the fire in her shoulder, only to find her arm not lying dead at her side as she expected. Lifting her queasy head up, she saw a peculiar sight.

The Green Hardsuit held her limp limb nearly straight out with one arm, the palm of Priss' hand opened up. The other arm of the Green armor was strangely pointed directly at that open palm. Unfortunately, Priss didn't have to wait long to find out what it was doing…

The room filled with agonized screams from the Blue Saber as a metal spike shot out of the other's loaded arm, piercing through both sides of her armored hand… and directly through the vulnerable flesh and bone inside. The tapered spike stuck out at an angle from the wall, pinning the helpless Saber as fresh blood began to trickle down its shiny surface.

Priss didn't stop screaming until a wicked backhand from the Green Hardsuit temporarily silenced her. It next grasped the other hand of the nearly unconscious woman and held out her other arm in a similar fashion.

Despite nearly succumbing to the torture, Priss moaned out a grunt as her weight was stretched out against the metal spike grinding against bare bone as well as her wrenched shoulder.

A few seconds later, fresh screams flooded the cavernous room as a matching spike was driven into Priss' left hand, holding her upright by the scorching holes opened in both palms. The Green Hardsuit took a few steps back until the wails of pain began to subside a few minutes later.

On wobbly legs, Priss struggled to lift the weight of her armor and body from her injuries. Fighting back the fear and pain, she filled her mind with images from her heart, images of Linna driving her on. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and focused inward; doing her best to block out the damage her body was screaming into her mind. She opened her eyes, the stars fading away as the sight of the imposter silently mocking her ignited the rage within her soul. Giving a test pull to gage the severity of the pain, Priss grinded her teeth together as she flexed her arms. Despite the magnitude of the shock scaling up and down her limbs, the strength of the spikes coupled with their angle held fast at first.

Priss roared as she clinched her jaw hard enough to feel the pain in her gums over the fire in her right shoulder. "I… WON"T… STOP…" she spat out through her teeth as the cold hooks ripping into her hands began to loosen, crimson puddles growing with every drip from their tapered ends, "UNTIL… I… SAVE… LINNA!"

"_Then you can stop now Priss."_

… which she finally did, her resolve dissolving from the acidic words hissed through the speakers of the Green Hardsuit standing before her. She opened her eyes to that Hardsuit, her lips beginning to quiver under the strain of dreaded comprehension. _"No… Linna… it can't…"_

The upper part of the orange visor lifted up, revealing pale violet eyes burning with the tint of green around the edges. The lower part of the duplex visor dropped down to show thin lips pursed from barely restrained fury. Linna's whole face shone with the rage of a warrior incensed, a cold fire that burned into Priss' soul even without the aid of the mental link which still remained as dead as her heart now felt.

Only one word came to Priss' trembling lips… _"Why?"_ … even though she feared she now knew the answer, the answer that would confirm her seemingly useless attempt to rescue her wayward teammate…

* * *

"So what happened with Linna then? Did they get in another fight yesterday? That's the only thing that I think could have prevented them from stopping this boomer plague," Masaki asked, concerned. 

"Well, Linna had taken some things pretty hard. I… I know she still wanted to have something with Priss. In fact, oh… I forgot to mention something…"

"What?"

"I am… was… Priss' boyfriend," Leon noted, unable to hide the depressive tone in his voice.

The blond man blinked hard, stared down into his half empty glass, then lifted the mug to his lips and chugged the rest of the alcohol in one shot. Holding the empty glass up, he signaled for the waitress for a refill. "So… um… you said Linna still was interested in Priss?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, it was weird. Something happened when they put on those new suits. Linna and Priss… well, they had this strange mental link thing going on where they could read each other's mind."

Masaki blinked twice, having a very hard time believing Leon at first. However, the more he thought about all the strange things that he had now been told of, it all seemed to make sense. "How'd you find out about it?"

"Heh, that was even more weird. The Knight Sabers got back from beating this huge boomer, and we're all celebrating in the lounge. Well, Linna sits next to Priss, who's stitting next to me…"

"Uh oh…"

"Yeah, well, Priss kept trying to talk to me, but was acting like she was distracted by something. Well, she looks over at Linna, who's not saying a word out loud the whole time, then grabs my arm, pulls me into a spare bedroom with a bottle of champaine, and, well…"

"So that's when she told you?"

"Yeah, after she had worked out her… frustrations…" Leon smiled with a grin that implicated much more had happened.

"So that's why Linna was so upset yesterday?"

"I guess, but some other stuff happened too. I wonder though, she seemed depressed about it at one point. But, I wonder what would happen if instead of being sad like we thought, what if she was really angry the entire time…"

* * *

"Don't pretend like you don't know you jealous bitch!" the Green Saber seethed, cocking back her arm while stalking up to the emotionally devastated Priss.

"_Wh… what are you…"_ Priss started to ask weakly when Linna let go with a heavy shot to her midsection, blasting the air out of her lungs.

"Don't play stupid with me anymore Priss! I know what you did to her now!" she spat out, following up with two more blasts into the translucent covering over the singer's prone body.

The force of the blow was so great, Priss' body attempted to double over which only served to jerk on her staked hands even more. As a consequence her left arm began to slide free of the wall… until Linna noticed, roughly securing the stake in the suffering woman's palm before driving it back into the wall with the hammering effect of her powerful suit actuators.

"Ahhhhhhgh!" Priss screamed out her agony, further stoking the coals of revenge within Linna's soul.

"That's exactly how she screamed when you killed her, wasn't it Priss? Just couldn't leave her alone, could you?"

"L… Linna, p… please don't…"

The woman answered with an armored fist into her wrecked shoulder, drawing further screams of agony from the Blue Saber.

After the pain subsided enough for Priss to speak again, she tried to plead once more to the Green Knight. "… listen… L… Linna, please…"

"Just SHUT UP!" the other yelled, driving another fist into Priss' body…

"… please… s… stop…"

… and another…

"… p… please…"

… and then two more into her gut, temporarily cutting off her pleas. However, Linna wasn't nearly through yet. "Jealous bitch… just couldn't let her go knowing that we had been together, huh? Go ahead, answer me damnit! Just why the Hell did you kill GINGER!"

With the cold rage seeping from the gaping hole in her heart, Linna wouldn't give Priss a chance to answer the question. She rained punch after punch into the prone Saber's body, each blow landing with a sickening thud and crack, flesh bruising underneath, metal bending under the stress, bones pushed beyond their limits, fracturing into tiny shards all up and down her beaten form.

After more than enough punishment, Linna paused for a second while she caught her breath… her rage knew no rest however. "Tell me Priss. Tell me why. Tell me damnit!" Griping both halves of her visor, Linna wrenched the metal apart, baring Priss' worn face, blood now trickling down from her mouth, to her assault. "Answer me Priss… ANSWER ME!"

The broken Saber slowly lifted her pained head into the face of her tormentor, looking straight into the fury of Hell itself upon on her. But she still had no idea why… _"I… I don't know… what you're… t… talking about…"_

"RRRAAAGH!" Linna screamed, delivering another vicious backhand across the exposed singer's cheek, snapping her head sideways from the extreme force of the blow, instantly bruising the skin, splattering blood across the wall.

"You don't know, huh! Don't know what you did to me! I'll show you then… I'll show you the kind of pain you've caused you callous bitch!" The Green Saber planted one leg outside of the dazed woman's left foot, then took aim with her left fist. "This isn't enough, but by God you'll feel it!" she promised maliciously as Priss turned her head down just in time to watch the streaking fist crash into the side of her prone knee.

As bad as her other injuries were at the moment, it was all she could do to maintain her consciousness when the blow connected. It wasn't designed to penetrate the armor… just bend it, and the leg inside of it, in a very, very unnatural manner. The former track star knew exactly what she was doing… and the consequences of the assault…

Priss leg bent sideways at a sickeningly sharp angle as tendons and muscles ripped inside of her left knee, the joint nearly exploding from the extreme force subjected to it. The pain was so intense, Priss couldn't find her breath to scream anymore. Tears streamed down her face as her head just bobbed back and forth, her eyes clamped shut to vainly shut out the intense agony, her mouth agape.

"And that's not even close to what you've done to me Priss, not nearly enough suffering to make up for the pain you've caused. You didn't put your hands on Ginger, no. Maybe that's why you're playing innocent. But you led those boomers there. You guided them to that tunnel. Galatea showed me the truth, the truth you wanted to hide from me. Well, now you'll pay for your lies, and you'll pay for them with your worthless life," the country girl spoke evenly, drawing the blade from her left arm, raising it up, poised to strike down the monster that had taken Ginger away from her… a monster as shown through the new visions carefully planted inside of Linna's mind… a mind now so blindly full of hate…

* * *

"Why would you think that she would be angry? They did have a fight, didn't they?"

"Not really. Linna, well, got really drunk. Then she got herself in big trouble. Priss bailed her out, but then I guess they did have a small fight afterwards," Leon realized.

"Oh, I see."

"That was two days ago. Yesterday morning, the other three went to go stop this boomer plague once and for all… but they couldn't do it."

"Did it have anything to do with that UFO?" Masaki asked.

"So you heard about it? I guess it'd be pretty hard to hide something as big as Tokyo Tower rising up in the sky like that. But…"

"What?"

"Linna is inside that thing."

"What!" Masaki nearly screamed.

"She had passed out before the others left on the mission. They left without her and we were watching from the other side of the bay. Well, the next thing we know, her hardsuit is flying over to the tower all wobbly. Either she was still drunk or…"

"Or what?"

"Well, Linna went in the tower, but the other three came out right afterwards, just before it broke away from the foundations and took off for the space umbrella. Well, when Priss got back she didn't know that Linna had gone in after them. When she found out, she went berserk. She took off up into the sky to find her, but something happened when she got there. I don't know exactly what she went through, but she fell back into the bay. When she got back again, she said that, well, that Linna had left because she wanted to go with that thing, that boomer god."

"The boomer god? But, that's crazy. She wouldn't…"

"… unless she was that angry at Priss? Seems impossible to me too. But, love can do some strange things to people."

"I just can't believe that Linna would do that," Masaki mumbled to himself, questioning his own reasons for coming to Tokyo. "So, do you… do you think Linna really loved Priss?"

"I just don't know. I do know though… Priss… she'd give up everything to be with Linna one more time."

"Oh. That's what you meant by 'was' earlier, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, well, Priss told me that she found Linna meant that much to her… more than I did apparently. Guess I was a bad substitute for what she really wanted…"

"What's that? A woman?" Masaki said as a half joke, although he had asked himself that very question numerous times over the last couple of weeks.

"I… I don't think so. Priss, she just seems to be one of those people who'll follow their hearts no matter where it takes them. In this case, her heart took her away from me, and into space…"

* * *

Clear, salty droplets splashed into the growing crimson pool, slowly spreading out from beneath the battered hardsuit hanging limply from the spikes fixed to the wall behind it. Parts of the metal trembled from the aftereffects of shock still rippling through the beaten human body that lay trapped within. The woman's head hung low, teetering on the edge of consciousness. The tears dripping from the jagged corners of her helmet were borne from the acute physical pain. However, as the dull voice ringing in her ears brought some small sense of awareness back to Priss, the tears morphed from physical ones into emotional pangs of loss.

The icy tone of her teammate, her friend, her unknowing love completed the gutting process of the remnants of the singer's soul. _But… Ginger? Why… why is she… _Even as she started to ask the question, Priss finally recognized the likely source of the corrupting influence within the other Saber. Fighting through the pain, she lifted her head to look into Linna's eyes. _"Its… Galatea…"_

"What did you say bitch!" Linna seethed, lifting the sharp blade up menacingly.

"Galatea… did this… to you…" 

The rage-blinded country girl wouldn't have any of it. "Still won't admit it will you? Just a lying whore to the end, aren't you?" She stalked closer, stepping close enough to splash her armored heels in the pool of Priss' blood below, holding the edge of the blade up to Priss' bruised cheek. "But I didn't really expect anything different from you. You've always hid the truth from me, always playing me, mocking me…"

The slithering snap of the blade sheathing next to her ear made even the barely aware Priss shudder, her fading eyes blinking out more pained tears.

Linna lowered her hand down to Priss' knee, still bent at an awful angle. She leaned in close to her ear and whispered bitter chills into it. "Tell me when it hurts." Linna slowly wrapped her metal fingers around the shattered joint, methodically digging the tips into the gouged blue metal.

Priss began to whimper as the constant aching grew into shards of fire shooting up her leg, biting her lip to keep from screaming yet again.

"Go ahead Priss. Let it out. I know how bad this must hurt. But, like I said, it's not enough to make up for what you did TO ME!" Linna finished by clamping down through the metal and skin, all the way into the bone, drawing a series of horrifying screams from the other woman.

"Don't even try to bring Galatea into this Priss! She's got nothing to do with it. You did this. You did this to me… and now you're going to answer to me for killing Ginger!" Linna let go of the broken limb and took a swift step back, drawing forth her blade once more… then thrust the blade into the abdomen of the woman to whom she had vainly tried to give her love.

The screaming abruptly stopped as the blade sunk into her body, horrifying reality striking Priss' mind like a sledgehammer. Newfound fire erupted inside of her as Linna roughly withdrew the tainted saber from the Blue Armor, the crimson puddles below filling in with fresh blood. Gradually the fire subsiding to a mere simmering throb. However, Priss' body began to chill, her vision fading, narrowing. A few moments later, her arms and legs began to numb, her breathing growing tired, labored, her heartbeat losing momentum, slowing.

As many fights and scrapes as she had been in, as many boomer incidents and motorcycle accidents she had endured, this went far beyond anything she had yet survived. But her experiences had taught her enough to recognize the end when it came. Looking into the frigid soul standing before her, Priss felt as emotionally devoid of life as she realized her body would soon be.

Her body grew weak, weariness subduing her desire to carry on. But through it all her mind didn't lose sight of her purpose, reminding her of what still remained undone. Focusing into the cold fire brimming behind those pale violet eyes, Priss' heart reached out one final time, stretching out and forming one final thought through her lingering regrets. _I've never… even told her… how I felt… _

In those final moments, past experiences brought forth the avenue from her heart, pushing on her bruised and swollen diaphragm, forcing out raspy breaths across worn lips, the air shifting into soft melodies of a song. That song reached across the vast canyon still separating the two women, gently falling on the deaf ears of the corrupted Linna.

The lyrics spoke deeper into her frozen heart, stroking a faint pulse that shook the country girl's resolve… but only for a moment. Rage ignited anew to burn away the feeling within, smothering with words exploding from the lechery of revenge sown deep within her body. "JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Linna screamed, flashing a backhand across Priss' face with a crack.

The singer's head rocked back down to rest limply on her chest, her eyes fluttering from the assault. However, a few moments later, the song picked up again as Priss continued to sing her life out of existence… much as she had done for the only other true love of her life…

"I said, SHUT THE HELL UP!" Linna roared again, sheathing the blade in order to hammer into Priss' bloodied midsection yet again, blasting the remaining air out of her lungs.

Coughing out trickles of blood from her mouth, it took a few more moments for Priss to recover. However, as soon as she did, she looked into Linna's eyes with a soft smile and continued to let the lyrics flow from her heart, the lyrics that spoke of forgiveness, acceptance, and unconditional love.

The affect of the flowing sound was to force Linna's shaking hands to reflexively clamp over either side of her helmet. _No… I won't… I can't… I won't let her hurt me again! _The unscripted tones continued to grate on the resolve of the Green Knight, finally enraging her past the point of sanity. "GOD DAMNIT! I'M GOING TO RIP THAT HEART RIGHT OUT OF YOUR CHEST!" she screamed, pointing her fingers in the shape of a V and thrusting at the offending organ continuing to torture her own fragmented heart.

Priss screamed again as the Green Hardsuit punctured the armor over her chest, its cold metal fingers driving towards the vulnerable flesh underneath. The Blue Saber tried to pinch the metal together, willing the armor back into its former shape. However, her body began to fail her mind, the room beginning to spin as the strain grew to more than her weakened state could handle. Darkness swept in as Priss felt the icy metal drive all the way to her flesh…

Linna's lips thinned out in a cruel smile of victory, her augmented hardsuit's power more than a match for the beaten Priss. Its fingers reached the singer's chest, preparing to crush the offending organ still beating inside her tormentor. She looked up one final time into Priss' eyes seeing the light fading from behind them. Something in those eyes, the eyes that had spoken so much to the young country girl in such a short time, distracted her from the task, just enough so that the surge of energy that shot through her penetrating arm caught her completely off guard, sizzling white hot energy lancing through the parts of her mind and soul that had formed the link with not only her hardsuit, but with the reclusive singer that had claimed so much of her heart…

In that instant, Linna's eyes were opened. The energy flowing through her body freed her mind of the constraints holding her back, showing her the light virtually pouring out of the battered woman's chest before her. _"…Priss…"_ Newfound understanding clouded Linna's purpose, her hand still buried in the blue armor, Priss' agonized face twitching from the violation of her will. She backed the metal intrusion from the hole in the singer's protective shell, but extended the flesh of her hand out of her own liquefying metal suit, pushing forward and pressing her now trembling palm over the thumping heart still beating within her teammate.

At the point of contact, a knifelike stab jabbed into the back of Linna's neck. She arched her back, screaming as her free hand tried to cover up the pain… but still managing to maintain the physical and mental link with the other woman hung to the cold metal wall. The pain quickly died as the false visions in her memory were quickly erased with the truth fed from the bond now reestablished with Priss. With that bond came a flood of tears to Linna's face, nearly instant recognition of what she had done, waves of regrets from foolish doubts and weaknesses. Her regrets formed into the shape of a wish… a wish that mixed with the lingering energy in the air and pulled her soul in close to the singer now weakly raising her head to look back into Linna's sorrowful eyes. "Priss… I… I'm…"

But as much as she wanted to say the words, Linna found herself wishing for so much more. That growing wish flashed reality away with a pulse of brief light, altering reality for the momentarily confused country girl. The moment passed quickly as she recognized the reality that now surrounded her, creating a brief sense of wonder.

She found herself in the place… the situation she wanted to relive, wanted to correct so desperately, standing back in her home town, just next to the clear splashing fountain of water spraying its mist into the bright blue summer sky. This time there were no other distractions, no other bystanders, no one else but the one person she wanted to see.

That person stood in her familiar biker garb just a few meters away, a soft calm smile written on her face… a face that glowed with a sense of real accomplishment. "I guess I did it, didn't I?" the singer spoke through that smile.

"Yes. Yes Priss, you saved me from Galatea after all." But new tears welled up in this reality as the recent images and emotions dredged up from her consciousness. "Priss, I'm so…"

But the words were cut off as the pale skinned biker took two quick steps towards her and lifted a smooth hand to cup Linna's cheek, pressing one finger gently across her lips. "Shhh, there's no time for that."

"Wha…" Linna began to ask through the glove on her face when Priss' other hand reached up to softly caress the other side of her now flushed cheeks.

Priss slowly, deliberately leaned over the top of the swooning country girl, tilting her head ever so slightly, parting her lips for the one message she wanted to deliver more than anything else.

For her part, Linna was spellbound by the sensations, the warmth transmitted through Priss' hands, coupled with the warmth radiating from the singer's heart. She let her eyes drift lazily into the hazy clouds of emotion sailing by overhead; her own lips ready to receive the overdue message.

Finally soft moist contact was made, transferring even more energy between the two women. One of Linna's hands reached up to massage the back of Priss's neck, deepening the kiss. Soon her other hand found one of Priss' gloved ones, joining their metaphysical bodies even further. Their two souls sang in resonance with the gentle roar of the nearby fountain, its multitude of droplets witnessing their love mutually acknowledged.

As the lengthy kiss continued, Linna's heart filled with the other woman's love. Her mind took quick note of the other facets of this reality. She found a focal point in the fountain, but noticed the sound dimming for some reason. She shifted her eyes over to the falling water, only to find it slowing to a complete stop. It was then she realized she couldn't feel Priss' lips anymore…

Her eyes darted back to the front and found emptiness before her… nothingness. Reality suddenly jolted back to the dark room and inside of her hardsuit, still standing with her hand pressed against Priss' chest… a chest that now felt cold and barren. She frantically lifted her eyes into the pale face before her and saw Priss' eyes rolling in the back of her head, lids fluttering closed. "NO! PRISS, DON'T!" Linna screamed, tearing her hand away and grabbing onto the two spikes still stringing up her love to the wall.

She tore the spikes away, catching the unresponsive Saber as she fell lifelessly into her arms. Dropping to her knees, Linna cradled Priss with shaking arms. Linna quickly began scanning the blue armor coated with the leaking lifeblood she had spilled out. Nearly gagging from the overwhelming revulsion of her handywork, pale violet eyes refocused on the singers nearly closed ones. "Hang on Priss! Don't… don't leave me…"

She was rewarded with a soft moan from the woman in her arms, her eyes cracking open, struggling to focus on the weeping face above her.

"_Priss, I'm so sorry,"_ Linna finally croaked out the words that felt like so very little in her dry throat now. A fresh river of tears poured down from her face, raining on the armor below, starting to wash away the streaks of drying blood littering its scratched, dull finish.

The country girl's broken voice helped the singer to regain her focus. Her raspy breath whispered out weakly. "… 's ok… I… forgive… you…" she barely finished before having to pause, desperately attempting to drawn in one more breath.

"oh god… Priss…"

"… linna… I… love you," the singer exhaled, managing to lift one weak hand to wipe away the tears from one side of Linna's face.

More tears overran that cheek, the Green Knight taking Priss' hand in her own trembling one. She glanced over to that hand, seeing the blood still dripping from the holes punctured in the armor, holes that she all too vividly recalled the origin of.

But Linna pushed those thoughts away for the moment, instead focusing on the pale face looking up into her own. Even now she felt the love radiate through Priss' eyes, the same eyes that had been her first clue as to who this woman really was... this woman that had professed love to her.

Linna gently lifted up the fragile body in her arms, leaning over to find Priss' dry lips with her own. She blocked out the taste of salty residue on those lips, instead transmitting her love as best as she was still capable. After a few moments, she lifted her head up and spoke with her eyes still closed. "I'll love you forever Priss."

But when she opened them, she realized the words were spoken too late. She desperately searched the face lying quietly in her lap, eyes closed, lips unmoving, colored a purplish tint.

She searched out with her heart, feeling out the link… but found nothing, nothing but cold emptiness all around. A biting, icy loneliness swept over the top of her like a tidal wave, crashing through her body with the reality she now gripped tightly to her chest.

She lifted her head up from the lifeless body and cried out her loss into the isolated room, devoid of light, life, and happiness…

_To be continued…_


	7. Ch 6: Rain When I Die

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

Ch. 6 – Rain When I Die

* * *

Leon was just stepping outside the shop when the pain struck, nearly causing him to double over from its ferocity. He grabbed at the source of the pain, dazed and disoriented as his male companion held him up by his other arm. 

"What's wrong?" Masaki asked.

Leon couldn't speak for a few tense moments, still recovering from the initial spike. His hand trembled over his heart, the source of the discomfort. The pain quickly subsided however, his breathing returning to its regular rhythm. He took stock of his condition and wishfully determined it to be indigestion. "I'm… okay. Just one too many drinks probably."

"I hope so. I'd hate to see you die now after getting past all those boomers."

"Yeah, wouldn't that just be fitting, having a former ADP officer survive a boomer plague only to be dropped by one too many drinks," he lightly joked, standing upright under his own power and slowly heading off through the passing front of rain to the truck parked nearby.

Masaki followed at his shoulder, pulling his jacket over his head to protect himself from the natural shower. "Hey, I thought you were having a heart attack for a moment, the way you were holding your chest and all."

The mention of that word flicked the switch inside of his head, stopping Leon dead in his tracks. He lifted his hand back over his heart and looked skyward once more, past the dark canopy hiding the battle raging overhead, silently expressing his sudden fears. _Priss, I hope you're still okay.

* * *

_

The image of Linna's teary face, the feel of her trembling lips, the warmth of the love pouring from her heart carried Priss through the silent fields as she floated away. The senses left her awareness, her physical body numbing from existence, as strange warmth seemingly tugged her soul onward. A serene peace finally coated her internal wounds, helping to heal the pain trapped inside of her for so very long.

Priss' eyes opened to find a cottony soft black wind all over her new 'skin'. Its direction was omnipresent, ruling over everything she could see… which was absolute nothingness. She knew this place, this destination. She had visited it several times in her dreams, and thus wasn't surprised by the sight finally illuminated before her.

A gentle hill covered in light green grass approached, then flew underneath her nonexistent feet. The endless field gradually slowed, signaling her arrival to the crossing. She stopped at the bank of a whispering river as its clear liquid flowed past in front of her. Across the narrow divide, a forest filled with sturdy, sheltering trees lie on the opposite side. Her vision panned across, pulled toward a section of the river traversed by a quaint, wooden bridge. At the entrance to that bridge stood a figure Priss strangely expected to find. At that sight she knew the truth. "I really am dead this time."

She turned her 'body' towards that figure as it faced her in kind. The figure smiled softly in her direction, calling her towards the inevitable destination. She smiled in turn as she spoke the name she had called that figure just a short few years past… _"…Katsuro…"

* * *

_

A profound discovery, coupled with wonder of incredible possibilities. Those were the best words to describe Galatea's mental patterns when her 'game' played out to its unpredictable ending… an ending that also brought serious complications to her other plans in action.

Taking more precautions than even warranted under the circumstances, the boomer-goddess rated the risk of losing her 'seed' as insignificant at best. However, the future embodiment of her being fell victim to the unlikely surge of energy transferred between the two humans, a surge of energy that even now fueled Galatea's desire to succeed in her impure plans even more. However, the data recovered from earlier experiments, those that gave birth to her very existence in this universe, warned Galatea that her chances of success were rapidly slipping away. One possible avenue was already beyond reach, falling towards the planet below after sabotaging her first attempt to control the populous beneath her. However, there remained one other avenue to the child-god…

_"I need a compatible host, someone that has not yet been tainted with the process. And there is only one option readily available for use in this capacity. However, there is a very small window of opportunity to utilize this option..."

* * *

_

"…_oh god… oh god…What… what have I done? Priss… Priss, c'mon… wake up. Please, just wake up… please…"_ The despondent words beckoned the still body to somehow miraculously recover even as it grew ever colder in Linna's trembling arms. She gripped Priss' armored hand tightly in her own, the same hand that had just wiped away the tears from her face not more than a few moments previous. But as eternity passed by without a single rise of her chest, a single sound from her throat, a single beat of her heart, the frigid reality of death solidified in her broken soul.

"_No. No, you can't be dead. You can't be dead Priss,"_ she denied weakly, even as her eyes soaked in bloodstained armor and the gaping holes from which they poured, holes the origins of which would haunt her forever. But those origins didn't wait for forever to begin their damning torture. Images of vicious power augmented punches smashing into Priss' prone body, metal spikes driven unmercifully through her hands, and then the impaling strike from the sword, the deathblow…

All those images replayed themselves in an instant, Linna's eyes flaring wide with absolute horror of what she had done. Even the depth of hatred that had been present in her corrupted body at the time still shone like a black beacon inside her mind. That hatred attempted to give logic to the insanity in which she had acted.

"But… but even when I did all those things, Priss, you… you still loved me," she spoke to the unresponsive woman settled in her arms, gently nudging a stray strand of hair from her forehead, her skin cold, dry. "But I wasn't that strong before. When you attacked me under Tokyo, I was too weak. I didn't listen to my heart then, not like you did just now. If I only had listened to my heart back then, you'd still be alive now. None of this would have happened. We could have stopped that monster. Galatea, she never would have seen the light of day again. Galatea… Galatea, that…"

"Linna."

The Green Knight spun her head around to find the apparition communicating with her. _"…bitch!"._ Grinding her teeth, she slowly lowered the Blue Hardsuit to the ground, stood up and promptly flashed her blade. She slowly, deliberately turned her armored body around and began to stalk towards the current focus of her hatred. After only two steps she lunged out and struck at the figure… but passed directly through having no apparent effect.

"I can understand the source of your emotions although I do not understand your irrational actions. Those can be stopped easily enough however."

Linna wasn't listening though. Her rage rang inside strongly enough to deafen her ears… and her sanity. She spun around and struck out at the image of Galatea once again… managing to startle the near-omniscient being this time.

It wasn't that her attack had any affect on the false image of Galatea in the room. The attack simply passed through her representation just as it had before. It was the fact that the attack was carried out at all… and that her commands to the Hardsuit were ignored in addition to the attempts to curtail the will of the human that had been under her control before.

As the nature of the game changed though, Galatea was quick to adapt her strategy. It almost wasn't in time…

Linna's frustration boiled over as she lowered a knucklebomb into place and took aim at the unresponsive pressure door in front of her. "Damnit, if I can't stop you here then I'll find some way to kill you!"

"And if you do she will die," Galatea punctuated with a raised finger at the motionless Blue Knight.

"You fucking boomer! She's already dead because of you!"

"Priss is only beyond your capabilities to help… but not mine," the goddess proclaimed as the floor beneath the still human liquefied and enveloped the battered armored form.

"What! What the hell are you doing! You… You're just a monster! Why would you…"

"Help? Because I have much still to learn in this existence, and you have both helped me greatly in this matter. It is the least I can do."

"But… but…. you… you'd actually… help… But, can she… is she still alive?"

"Her life is in serious jeopardy but it is still not too late. However, we must not waste another moment."

The door on the opposite side of the room hissed open revealing a myriad of lab equipment, some of which appeared frighteningly familiar to the torn Linna. How could she trust Galatea? Did she have any other choice? Was this just another trick? Could she really save Priss' life? What reasons did the boomer god have for wanting to prolong the life of someone so determined to kill her?

But in the end, all Linna wanted was for Priss to be alive. Nothing else mattered to her but that… even if it meant a pact with the devil herself. She gave her silent permission by simply allowing Priss to be moved to the other room.

The fluid floor swiftly conveyed the Blue Hardsuit along, her body placed inside of a tank, which quickly closed up, a small hose detaching from the top and clamping itself over her face. The tank then flooded with a liquid mix of some kind, unidentifiable to the desperate Linna. The battered armor opened itself up, giving a ray of hope to her that Priss was somehow already conscious, until she saw the shape of the human underneath. It was worse than she could have imagined. Welts framed with bruises covered nearly the entire front of her body, her knee out of place, badly swollen just as her shoulder was. Then the puncture wounds in her hands… and the chasm torn across her abdomen. Her mind doubted than even a well meaning Galatea could undo all the damage that she had wrought upon her love's body.

A sudden flash of light struck Priss from the top of the tank, her body jerking reflexively from the blow.

"What are you doing to her!"

"It is necessary to restart her heart. Please be patient."

Another jolt hit as bits of metal floated down from the top of the tank, covering over the holes in her hands and abdomen, acting like makeshift bandages. A third strike shuddered her body but it immediately fell still again.

The violent treatment nearly caused Linna to wretch even as she hoped beyond hope that it would somehow work. As a feeling of helplessness sunk into her soul, she found at least one outlet to try, one thing she might still be able to do. Concentrating on the mental link, she called to Priss. _"C'mon Priss, please hang on. Come back to me, please. Fight damnit. I… I know I said I'd never quit, I'd never give up. But, without you, I just… just don't know if I can go on. Please Priss, come back to me. I need you more than anything else." _

Focusing deep within, Linna's body grew still, her senses probing into the rift around. Her consciousness gently floated into darkness, cloaking everything around with its eerie silence. _"Priss, please come back to me. Please Priss" _she pleaded into the endless void.

Seemingly answering her call, a dim light flickered from far off into the infinite darkness, a point that Linna immediately sped towards as fast as her will would carry her…

* * *

"…_Nene…"_

The boyish voice woke the girl from her nightmares… only to find them all too real. "Wh… what happened… Mackey… Linna… _oh god, Linna_…"

"Nene…" 

"Mackey? No, it… it's just another trick…" The confused and hurt girl spun around, finding herself floating off into space, her hardsuit somehow still intact, the space umbrella sickeningly floating out of reach. She continued to spin, searching for the source of the disturbance she was sure still was out to kill her.

"Nene," the voice repeated itself stronger this time.

"Go Away! Just leave me alone!"

"Nene listen, I don't have much time."

"You're not real!"

"Nene!"

"No! I won't listen to your lies anymore!" The young girl clung to herself tightly, curling up her legs into a fetal position. "…no, I won't… I won't anymore…"

But as she tried to block out whatever it was that was trying to communicate with her, she found the inside of her cold and nearly powerless hardsuit warming up. Her eyes turned to the energy meter, strangely rising without any logical source of power nearby. As she opened up her heart ever so slightly, she found the warmth radiating from the hardsuit beginning to comfort her soul, and she knew… "Mackey… Mackey, it is you."

"Yes it is," he answered calmly. "I've missed you very much."

The young girl swallowed back her tears even as her voice cracked. "I've missed you so much too. I… I just wanted to try and make things right. I didn't think I'd ever really see you again."

"Nor did I. I have a small window of opportunity to help you now. I wanted to help earlier, but her focus was too strong. She's distracted by something else now, so I had to make sure you were still alive."

"Yes… alive… but I don't think I'm going to be for much longer."

"You have to live Nene!" the voice screamed at her through the hardsuit's speakers. "You must live for the both of us. That's what I want more than anything else now. You have to live… and you have to make sure Galatea doesn't succeed in her plans."

"Wait! Mackey, can't you stay with me somehow? Can't you… isn't there some way you can fuse with the hardsuit…"

"Nene, it's not possible and there isn't time to argue. You can survive this… and I know you will find the way to make it back to Earth."

"But… but what's the point. It's not just Galatea anymore, Linna… Linna she…"

"Nene, Linna didn't attack you. She would never hurt you or anyone else unless she wasn't acting on her own accord. Just trust me, please. You must keep going. As long as you're alive, I'll still exist inside of your heart."

"Mackey…"

"She's nearly completed her task now. I have to break contact or else she might try to hurt you again. Nene, listen… even if I'm trapped inside of her, even if I'm barely me anymore, in my dreams we'll always be together."

The voice faded from inside of her helmet, weightless tears rained from Nene's watering eyes. "…and you'll always be in my heart Mackey…"

* * *

"I've never let you out of my heart, no matter who else I was with," Priss spoke truthfully, looking up into light gray eyes of her past.

"I know you haven't Priscilla. You're still just as stubbornly loyal now as you were back then." The tall figure stood at the mouth of the bridge, dressed in the same clothing he usually wore back from the days and nights that Priss had spent with him in the ruins of old Tokyo. He reached out with one unwavering hand and softly brushed the singers pale cheek.

Without letting the contact end, she reached up and gripped the hand in both of her own, bringing it to her lips and planting a moist kiss on its rough back, cementing this new 'reality' in her mind. She returned the hand to her cheek and directed it to stroke her face again, reveling in the contact she had dreamed about for so very long. "It's so good to actually feel you again Katsuro."

"I wish I could say the same."

"What?" Priss answered surprised, letting his hand fall back to his side again.

"I wish I could actually feel your face… more than anything else…"

"What do you mean? I… it felt so real… wait… is this…"

"No Priss, this is as real as it gets here. But that is how this reality is."

"I… I don't understand."

"You don't have to right now." The figure from Priss' past turned his attention behind her, drawing her eyes around to find a peculiar sight.

Several shadowy figures drifted by the startled woman. As they passed close, Priss was able to make out the shapes as humans floating by, searching for comfort in this version of the afterlife. One by one, numerous souls lumbered across the bridge and disappeared into the trees. But as Priss watched them drift across the bridge, she saw other figures… inhuman figures making a crossing downriver, ignoring the wooden structure.

"What are they?"

"It's hard to recognize them in this form, isn't it Priss?"

She studied the ghostly shapes, the large forms of bulky mass with no definable pattern to their shapes or appendages. However, their radiating tones and moods sent chills of familiarity shooting through Priss' tingling spine. "But how… they… they're boomers!"

"And they come to rest here too."

"With humans!"

"They're just extensions of us in a way I guess. This place doesn't seem to care about the differences that much."

Priss stared in disbelief, still not quite able to make herself admit the truth shown her in this place. "But… there's so many of them."

"It's her, Galatea. She's sacrificed a bunch of these boomers along with many humans on her little quest."

"Along with me," Priss whispered to herself.

Katsuro lifted his hand to the distracted Priss and stroked her cheek once more, a move intended to comfort her against what he had to tell her. "Not exactly Priss."

She turned confused again towards her former lover. "What do you mean?"

He started to speak, but stopped. Turning his head over his shoulder, he looked back into the first line of trees.

Priss followed the track of his attention into those trees… and nearly had her non-existent heart leap out of her chest at what she saw sitting there. "Mom! Dad!"

"They really wanted to see you too… but I talked them into letting me be the one to greet you this time."

If she could have cried, Priss' face would have been covered with almost as much water as currently flowed under her feet. She took one further step onto the bridge, mindlessly walking past Katsuro. A stern hand placed across her chest held her in check. Priss' eyes flashed up into Katsuro's, confusion mixed with anger peppering her soul. "Let me go!"

"_I hate this part,"_ he mumbled to himself, before answering with a twinge of sadness to his voice. "It's not your time Priss. It's not your time to be here yet."

"What do you mean! I'm dead, right! Why can't I see them now!"

A rumble from above drew her attention away from Katsuro and into growing clouds of darkness. They blotted out the perfectly blue sky as flashes of lightning erupted from within. Priss' eyes flashed to Katsuro then back to her parents still sitting underneath the trees, their own heads pivoting back and forth anxiously between the boiling sky and their daughter.

A loud crack of thunder flashed panic within Priss' soul as she once again tried to push past the 'guard' on the bridge. Katsuro's arm wouldn't budge, elevating her tension even further. "I've got to see them! Mom! Dad! I'm coming! she cried as she gripped the railing on the bridge tightly, attempting to force herself past the obstruction.

He still wasn't relenting. "You can't Priss."

"God damnit! Let me go!" she howled, taking a step back and ducking down underneath the arm. She met his leg instead, bouncing off and falling back on her butt. Her head tilted back just in time to see another blast of lightning arc ever closer from the swelling mass above, further igniting the desperation now consuming her soul.

She instinctively jumped to her 'feet' and without thinking twice struck out into Katsuro's 'body'. Her fist sunk deep in his belly with enough strength to jar her own shoulder… but his body never moved, not even so much as a flinch. With her fist still buried within him, Priss looked up into saddened, regretful eyes… eyes that now explained much more than mere words ever could. She pulled her arm back, rubbing the offending weapon guiltily with her other hand. "You… you can't feel it… any of it, can you?"

"No, and I'd give anything for one more chance to feel you again… even if it was for only that one, single punch."

Those words melted the remnants of hardness in her soul, and she now began to understand the depth of sacrifice he was making for her now, bringing back memories of just how much he had sacrificed for her while he was still alive. She fell into his chest, clutching Katsuro as hard as she could. Priss' voice cracked badly as she tried to bury her sadness within. _"I love you so much."_

He lifted his arms and cradled the young woman to his soul, trying to shelter her against the impending storm… a storm that he knew would take her from him once again. "Priss…"

"Yes?"

"It's been too long. I can't… remember… Can you tell me… tell me how it feels?" he whispered into her ear.

She released her grip just enough to tilt her head upwards and look directly into his eyes, ignoring the jagged, spinning clouds now just above them. "It's warmth, comfort, and love all rolled into one. Its better than that resort suite in Australia we always talked about, the one with the picture of the feathery soft gold blankets covering the lavender silk sheets, floating on a heated semi-waveless waterbed."

"Mmmm, I remember that now," Katsuro recalled dreamily. He stared down into Priss' soul and found himself drawn into her one last time. He lifted his hands up and cupped either side of her face, lowering his lips to meet her own… even if he couldn't actually feel it.

Priss was much more lucky. The closeness shared with her former lover poured forth as she lifted one hand to the back of his neck, deepening the kiss, trying to make up for lost time.

Katsuro modestly broke the embrace, opening his eyes once again to gaze into Priss' radiating globes. "Y'know, your parents are probably staring at you right now."

Priss flashed her head around and found his assumption to be true, blushing deeply from her exhibition.

"It's okay, I think they'll understand," Katsuro spoke with wisdom Priss had never known from him before, giving her a sense of just how long it had been since his death.

"Katsuro…"

"Shhh… we'll have time to talk later. Much later, hopefully."

Priss asked the question with her eyes this time, intently listening to every word he had to say.

"You need to take advantage of every moment you can. Linna, she really loves you, doesn't she?"

Priss silently nodded, continuing to stare up into his cool gray eyes.

"Then give her as much of yourself as you would give to me… she'll need every bit of it very soon… and you'll need everything she can give you in return."

The overtones in his voice gave Priss a very uneasy feeling, one that she couldn't ignore. "What do you mean? What… what do you know?"

"I'm sorry Priss."

"Sorry for what? What's wrong?"

A faint voice from the heavens above distracted Priss enough for her to look up into the circling clouds. In the vortex a small shimmering light appeared, and with it sang a familiar voice…

"Priss! Priss, please, come back to me!" 

"Linna?"

Priss looked down at Katsuro for the answer… only to find him stepping backwards, off of the bridge, away from her.

She was about to take a step in his direction when a loud roar bellowed from the vortex above, her head snapping reflexively skyward at the disturbance.

She had a perfect view of the lightning bolt that flashed from the center of the clouds, striking her right between the eyes…

Pain exploded anew throughout her body, her shoulder, knee, hands, and abdomen burning with fire-like ferocity. She mentally recoiled, falling back… only to have a spiritual hand grasp onto her soul. Priss stared up into the boiling blackness and saw an angel dressed in green light… an angel that looked very much like Linna…

"Priss! Hang on, please!" 

"…_l … linna…"_

Another blast struck her from everywhere at once blinding her vision. But Priss held on tightly to Linna's 'hands', trusting in her fellow Saber. The pain began to subside into dull throbs, tired aches becoming more prevalent by the second. She felt the familiar thumping of her heart filling her eardrums, a sensation of wetness coating her skin, near weightlessness holding her in place. She realized her eyes were still closed… then opened them, and found the angel praying at her feet. _"… Linna…" _

The Green Knight opened her eyes and found the miracle before her. "Priss? Priss! Oh my God!" Her hands balled up before her face, fresh tears raining down her cheeks. She slowly lifted one hand to the tank, pressing up against its surface in an effort to make herself truly believe what she was seeing.

Disoriented, her mind was just beginning to comprehend the situation when Priss weakly brought her one good arm up to meet Linna's hand. She pressed her palm against the clear surface, feeling out for the touch of her love.

Somehow, even through the barrier between them, Priss could feel the energy flowing from the green armored hand just out of reach. She focused outward, into Linna's pale violet eyes now flowing torrents of hopeful wishes in her direction. That energy began to revitalize the young singer's body, drawing on the power of their link and restoring a little of her lost life force.

"She must rest now," a commanding voice spoke from all around, startling Priss. Instant dread crept into her soul as she recognized the source of the voice… _"Galatea…"_

Linna realized the Blue Knight's fears. "It's okay Priss. She… she's helping us now," she explained waveringly, trying to convince herself as much as she was her fellow Saber.

"… help?…" Priss questioned, beginning to struggle just as she felt a sharp prick at the back of her neck. The world blurred almost instantly, breaking the link with Linna as a stream of chemicals invaded her body. Before consciousness left her, Priss heard one last phrase from her 'caretaker'…

"Just relax Priscilla. I'm going to help you fully recover… _so you can help me become so much more than I am now…"_

_To be continued…_


	8. Ch 7: Save Yourself

AFA Part 2

"Falling from Grace"

Chapter 7 – Save Yourself

* * *

Linna slumped to the cold metal floor, emotionally spent far beyond anything she had yet endured. The country girl didn't know whether to be happy, sad, angry, sorrowful, or just plain thankful. Her thoughts tumbled about randomly deep within her tattered soul. Pangs of remorse contrasted with the elation of life renewed; Priss' life returned to her, by Galatea, now a seemingly forgiving goddess.

But serious doubts remained in Linna's mind as to why the boomer goddess had chosen to help… those doubts born from mysterious blank spots inside her own mind. Faint murmurs, whispering from the remains of lies planted in her head, further unnerved the Green Saber, causing her to turn her head upwards just to convince herself that Priss was still there, still alive, and not being used as she herself had been just a few minutes before.

"What troubles you now, human?" Galatea's disembodied voice resonated from the surrounding air. Linna instinctively stared around the room of jumbled lab equipment and pipes for the source of the sound. Finding no physical sign of Galatea, she shook her head as she tried to go back in her corrupted memory to rebuild the order of recent events.

"What… what did you do to me?" she breathed, clamping her hands to either side of her head. A dull ache throbbed in her temples as the adrenaline slowly bled off.

"I wanted to learn more about these emotions that spur your species to do the impossible. Thus I implanted a few images in your memory."

"A few images?" Linna demanded furiously, her rising blood pressure adding fuel to the migraine now setting in. "You made me blame Priss for killing Ginger, you bitch!"

"It was necessary, in order to obtain the information I required," the hollow voice replied.

"Necessary? And was this necessary as well!" Linna spat the words out into the echoing space, holding up her heavily modified arms. "Damn it, she never had a chance against this!"

"It was required to ensure the safety of your physical form."

The words rang like a gunshot in her mind, a combination of the throbbing in the back of her head and the cold words 'physical form'. "W-wait… you did something else to me?"

Galatea considered her next move carefully. The green hardsuit and the human within were a virus in her eyes, a foreign invader that needed to be subdued, especially considering the current fragile state of the human's mind. If Galatea was truthful to Linna now, the human could very well endanger her plan's only remaining chance to succeed. Calculating the time necessary to carry out her plan, and evaluating the possibilities of collateral damage should a battle be fought in this lab area, the formula for success quickly became apparent… and Galatea had the perfect tool to manipulate the formula.

"Yes, I have done something else with you. I have brought you along on my journey to the next height of my ascension. Linna, do you have any idea where you are right now?"

The confused Saber fought to think through her pounding headache, but could only find the obvious answer before her. "You trapped me inside the Genom tower," she answered bitterly.

"No, not exactly. The tower as you knew it no longer exists. I think the common term for your current location would be the _Space Umbrella_."

Linna's eyes widened in shock as the implications of that statement began to hit home, even though she was nowhere near ready to believe Galatea's claims. "Th-that can't be! But… how…? This can't be outer space! How the hell did Priss get here then!"

"The other Knight Sabers used the transport vehicle the humans refer to as the skyhook."

The bottom fell out of Linna's stomach as her conviction wavered, doubts creeping in to undermine her beliefs. She searched within for any clues… but didn't find much. She recalled being trapped by Galatea and waking up to find her hardsuit corrupted by the child goddess… and, most recently, becoming aware of Priss entering the room, the prelude to their fateful battle. Instantly, the harsh reality of Galatea's claims struck hard. "Wait… what do mean, the 'other' Knight Sabers? Where are Nene and Sylia?"

"The human you refer to as 'Nene' is no longer here, but Sylia is within the confines of this station."

"'No longer here'? What did you do to her?"

"I believe your boomer can answer your questions."

"What?" Even as Linna's mind formed the question, a small window appeared within her visor, showing nothing but darkness all around. Suddenly the outer shell of a station-like satellite appeared and the view rapidly passed beneath the satellite's hull, so swiftly that Linna's stomach rolled. The unseen camera panned up the station's breadth, lighting on a cylindrical object ahead. The surface of the cylinder flew past below for a moment, focusing in on a red speck, which grew into the form of the startled Red Saber. A sickeningly familiar blade struck out at the bewildered Saber, making Linna's breath catch. She exhaled sharply as the blade missed, only cutting into wires to the Red Saber's side. Beyond, the Earth continued turning, a paralyzing view that unsettled Linna's stomach even further; she looked away, back at the image projected inside her visor. The Red Saber drifted beside a bulging cylinder… just as it exploded. A brilliant ball of flame swallowed the hapless Red Knight.

"Oh God… Nene… but th-that was the hardsuit… no… she… she can't be..." It was all too much for Linna to accept. She felt the sickening urge to rip off her helmet and get away from the brutal killer she was trapped within… except something strange echoed in the recesses of her mind, traveling along the link she had come to use with Priss, along the link formed with her hardsuit.

Emotion welled up and quickly faded in that neural pathway, leaving Linna with a single but startling sensation: regret.

"Are… are you… sorry?" The confused Saber spoke to her seemingly sentient hardsuit.

A single word flashed onto the text box of her HUD: 'Yes', and was gone again.

Linna exhaled as she took some small comfort in something she had felt all along, that these boomers were in fact more human than they appeared.

But just as her body relaxed ever so slightly, her mind raced with a new question. "Is Nene okay? Did she survive? And where is Sylia?"

A brief pause as the HUD on her visor opened another window before her. This showed a red-hot object entering the atmosphere below. The image magnified and resampled itself automatically, showing that it was indeed Nene, apparently in full control of her newly modified hardsuit. The life scan displays lit up beside the image, verifying Linna's beliefs.

Linna smiled at her friend's resourcefulness. She willed the windows to close and repeated her last question one more time. "Where's Sylia?"

"I will show you now." Galatea's electronic voice echoed inside Linna's helmet as a false image of the robed child-goddess materialized in the room. She floated towards an unexplored part of the cluttered lab where Priss' resurrection was being performed.

Linna followed cautiously, casting another worried glance back at her fellow Knight Saber, who still floated unconscious inside the recovery tank. The Green Saber hesitated as a door in the wall opened, exposing a small closet sized space on the other side. But as much as she worried about Priss, Linna was equally concerned for Sylia. At least with the Blue Knight, she knew exactly how she was faring right now. Galatea hadn't been very forthcoming about Sylia's condition yet; and thus Linna's growing fears about what her leader may be suffering –and what part her own hardsuit might have had in these acts- spurred her through the doorway, into the airlock beyond.

The door hissed shut behind with a fading whisper of air exiting the room. Alarms sounded in Linna's helmet, alerting her to the inhospitable conditions on the other side of her protective suit of armor, and at least partially confirmed Galatea's claims that she was now in outer space. Still more questions popped into the young woman's weary head, but she held them back as Galatea opened the external airlock door and led her through the desolate hallways. Even as ignorant of it as she was, this place could plausibly be the space umbrella.

Several winding twists and turns later, her sensors registered something… something matching the signature of a hardsuit. Linna sprinted past her pacing lead, turning the last corner, and stopping dead in her tracks. "Sylia!"

The silver hardsuit stood partially fused with the walls of the umbrella… and so fused with Galatea. Only her torso, visor, and the trunks of her arms and legs were visible. Everything else lay buried within the growth of metal veins pulsing all around her. Linna spun towards the apparition of the child goddess and released her rage. "What are you doing to her!"

"Reconditioning her mind and body to serve her new master."

"Reconditioning? Just… just let her go. Please! She's already suffered enough because of you."

"But she has caused so much more pain than she herself suffers. I am simply making her aware of that pain."

"Aware?" Linna asked, puzzled.

"Come, let me show you," Galatea beckoned.

Before Linna realized it, her mind opened up to step inside the mental cloud that enshrouded Sylia's live nightmares. She found herself outside of her hardsuit, not naked but dressed in her usual plain style of clothing. The place wasn't the hollow space station she had just been in… it was a familiar place… a restaurant in Tokyo, as Linna recalled.

"What's going on?"

Her answer lumbered out in the form of a heavily mutated boomer. She took a reflexive step back, feeling suddenly naked without her hardsuit. Her head snapped around, quickly scanning the room for escape routes. But as her eyes focused on a promising looking window, she noticed something staring back at her.

"Hey, that's…"

The familiar form of her old green hardsuit smashed through the window, closely followed by a pair of streaks, one colored red, the other blue.

' "Let's do it!" ' The rough voice that echoed through the vacated eatery could only be Priss'. That voice reverberated in Linna's mind for a moment before triggering her memory even further. "Wait, I remember this place."

As she spoke aloud, the boomer turned towards her, causing Linna to cower from its hulk. The beast didn't focus on the non-threatening human for long… it was much more concerned with the armored vigilantes swarming over it. First the Red and Green Sabers skimmed past, distracting it enough to turn its back on the Blue Saber, who quickly pounced. Punching through the hard outer shell with a lightening-fast strike, ripping the core from its body, holding the pulsing, oozing mass out for all to see. At that precise moment, Linna realized what was so different about this past replay of events.

She could vividly recall what the core had looked like, the first time she had actually seen it outside of the boomer. But this core looked more lifelike, more human… in fact…

Before Linna could put all of the pieces in place, Priss' metal fingers clamped shut around the frantically beating core; the tough muscles crushed and ripped, thick walls bursting in a flood of liquid that smelled distinctly like blood… human blood.

Linna heard the boomer scream… but heard **two** voices. One was the expected shrill of mechanical death. The other was agonizingly familiar.

The lifeless hulk crashed to the floor even as another faint image glowed inside its body, confirming Linna's fears.

"SYLIA!"

Ignoring the room's other inhabitants, Linna rushed to the side of her fallen leader. Kneeling beside the unmoving metal hulk, she stared into the fading glow within it, watching the remaining life drain from the punctured shell.

"Why? Why did you do this?" she screamed into the departing pack of Sabers walking towards the broken window.

The blue and red hardsuits leapt out into the night, but the green hardsuit stopped and turned around to face her. ' "This is what I've always wanted to do." '

"But Sylia…"

"What? You mean that boomer there? It got what it deserved in my opinion."

"But Sylia was inside of it."

"So what? Sylia is inside of all of them."

That point blank shot stunned Linna into silence.

"You always were such a boomer lover," Linna's armored half continued to rant. "It's funny though. How can you kill them so easily when you cry over their fate?"

"I… I don't know…"

' "It's her, isn't it? Priss. You're still trying to live up to her expectations. Still trying to take that top-dog spot from her… just to earn her **admiration**." ' The green hardsuit stalked around its human half in a circle as it continued to taunt. ' "Priss..." ' It let out just the one word, stopping with its back turned to the doubled-over Linna. The orange visor edged around slightly towards its prey. ' "Heh, isn't it odd how the things you love… you always seem to kill, Linna…" '

The country shot upright, enraged. "What the hell are you saying! Priss isn't dead!"

"Not yet, but Ginger is. Nene might be soon. And there are thousands more along with them, aren't there, Linna?"

The depressed girl's strength faded as the doppelganger fed off her innermost doubts and fears.

' "Look at this armor," ' the hardsuited figure continued. ' "This is what you wanted, remember? Heh, you just wanted to 'help' people. Well, you helped them all right… helped them to a sudden and painful death."

"Stop it!"

' "Why? Can't stand to hear the truth from your own lips? You've admitted it before… or tried to, anyway. Got a little too drunk, though… and now look at you. Got yourself caught by Galatea, dragged into space; forced Priss and the others to try and rescue you, and now they're all dead… all because of you." '

"No… no, stop it… it's not true!"

' "All your fault…" '

"Stop it!"

' "… your fault…" '

"STOP IT!" The rage ignited inside Linna's soul; she cocked her head back and screamed as loudly as she could. Once again she was suited in her new armor, the hardsuit forming around her shaking body. Immediately she focused her anger towards the mockery before her, extending her blade and stabbing through its chest without a second thought.

The Green apparition vaporized into the gray shadows, leaving a spent Linna shuddering in its wake. A sharp pain struck her own chest, forcing the unstable woman to glance down, her own hand covering the source of the discomfort… a hand that was now covered in fresh blood, blood now pouring from a gash in her own body…

"Wha'… what's happening?" Her eyes widened with shock; she staggered back as the walls began to spin, the excruciating pain throbbing in her chest. Stumbling twice as the room pitched, Linna collapsed to the ground coughing up blood, an apparent victim of her own attack.

* * *

The empty blue sky stared back at Nene with as many questions as filled her troubled mind. Sitting alone on the desolate tropical beach, she glanced down at the remains of her red hardsuit, the subtle ebbs of the ocean washing over the scorched metal. Finding no answers there, she lifted her eyes into the brightness above, her thoughts turning to her teammates. But even as she worried about Sylia, Linna and Priss, the voice that echoed the loudest in her heart was that of the one being she wanted to hold more than anything else in the world… the one whose disappearance left her cold and empty despite the intense rays of the burning sun.

"Mackey, please take care of them. Please take care of them and then come back to me… please, Mackey… please…"

* * *

Priss opened her eyes to serenity. Trees surrounded a beautiful lake and its quiet walking paths. The view stirred something within the depths of her hazy memory as she looked around, slightly disoriented from just waking. Looking down, she found herself sitting on a familiar bench, and began to remember where she had seen it before.

_Katsuro_…

This place and her memories clicked together as she spun around to confirm her thoughts, that this was the site of his death…

… only to find him actually sitting on the bench across from her. "Hi Priss."

"Katsuro?"

"Yeah, I thought you might need some help, and the way you're looking at me right now, I think I was right."

"Help? With what? Wait, where was I… what was…. what was I doing?"

"That's not important now. What is important is that you've got more than just yourself to look after now."

The first thing that leapt into Priss' mind was something she had feared ever since the first time that she and Katsuro had become intimate. Her eyes turned towards her belly, fearful of now finding herself an expecting mother, but she found something much stranger instead...

Held in her own hands was a small baby, a beautiful child with short blond hair. The girl slept peacefully, wrapped in a pink blanket with only her face visible. That face had a certain likeness to pictures she had seen… pictures of herself as a child…

She looked up into Katsuro's face with an uneasy smile. "Um… so… is it ours?"

"Not mine," he answered. "Yours. I'm not the father."

"What!" Priss' voice startled the sleeping baby, which began to wiggle in her lap. She glanced down to find her child now stretching its arms out from under the blanket. "What… what do I do now? I don't anything about taking care of a baby!"

"I knew you'd need help with this. See, Priss, you don't have to know anything. It can take care of itself," Katsuro answered cryptically.

"Huh?" The new mother glanced down… and found a mortifying sight.

The child's eyes opened, revealing bright crimson irises tainted with green. The eyes flashed and, before Priss could move, the park bench came alive, wrapping its metal arms around her body and pinning her in place. The last thing she heard was the baby's voice… a much younger version of her tormentor.

"Thank you, Priscilla. Now I can live just like you."

"NOOOOO!" Priss screamed out her horror as the baby exploded into an oozing mass of metal tentacles, swallowing everything in sight with grotesque speed… herself included.

Her world turned to black… and she jerked upright, finding herself swimming in darkness. _The lake… I'm drowning in the lake… _

"Not exactly, Priscilla," the adult voice of Galatea echoed in the small room.

Priss realized then why she couldn't see, and opened her eyes… to the inside of a tank. _A dream… just a dream… _she thought, but her current situation hardly calmed her fears, nor did Galatea's next comment…

"It is an interesting phenomenon, how the human subconscious seems to recognize situations before the full human consciousness becomes aware of them. Perhaps the deepest problem-solving sections of the human brain are actually part of this 'subconscious'."

_Wait! You… you can read my thoughts… are you saying… that dream… that dream was **real**! What are you doing to me! _Priss paused as her nightmares spilled into horrifying reality; she began to struggle but her arms and legs were securely bound. Worst of all, her body wasn't whole either. Further disturbing memories of Linna's attack flashed through her mind. She bent over as far as her metal binds would allow, and the sight turned her stomach even more.

Over the gashes and tears in her body lay unnatural metal patches, grotesque masses like leeches on her body. Strangely, those parts of her body did not ache; her palms and abdomen felt slightly numb but greatly improved compared to what she last remembered. That realization, however, sent more shockwaves trembling through her mind, now circling around dark possibilities and darker truths about her 'recovery', circling around the words Linna had last addressed to her and Galatea's perturbing statements.

_How… how long have I been unconscious? Where's Linna? _

"She is with my sister."

_Sylia? Where are they? What are you doing to them? _

"They are being dealt with appropriately"

_Appropriately? What do you know about that? You're nothing more than a damn child! _Priss screamed out in her mind, straining from the stress. She felt something tear deep within as a jab of pain hit her hard. She moaned out her agony in turn.

"You must be more careful. I have no other ready means to ascend if you permanently damage yourself." The human image of Galatea appeared before Priss, floating just outside the tank. "I am most fortunate that my sister selected minds compatible with her own, and that she brought you with her into space. It is because of these fortunate occurrences, accidents if you prefer, that I can use your body, Priscilla, and your human brain to replicate the experiments that originally gave birth to my existence. And through you, I shall be reborn into a new form, one that can wield not only the powers that liken me to a god, but also the powerful feelings and emotions that lend such god-like strength and endurance to the human species. I shall have the best of both of these lives, and it is all possible because of Sylia, the Knight Sabers, and you, Priscilla Asagiri. Especially you."

As the full weight of her words hammered home, Priss felt sick to her stomach. Instinct took over as her struggles intensified. _Got to get out of here… can't let her do this… _But her binds tightened in response. The robed child approached her, the apparition passing straight through the tanks walls with one hand stretched towards Priss' neck. Priss tried to back away, her head inching backwards from the invading presence. Somehow, she felt the insubstantial hand caress the side of her neck and slide to the back, gently rubbing the sore skin there.

"It is progressing very well so far. Please do not struggle; this is a sensitive time in its development."

_You… you've already… _Even the mere thought was too repulsive for Priss to finish.

"Yes. The seed is planted. It is performing as well as the one planted inside the human Linna's body… at least, as well as it did until its premature demise, caused by that unfortunate transfer of energy between the two of you."

More pieces of the demonic puzzle clicked together in Priss' mind. _That's why… that's why you said you had what you wanted back in Tokyo… why you brought her up here, isn't it! _

"Yes, and it may have been an error in calculations on my part that led to that seed's early demise. Even if I cannot reuse a body such as my sister's or Linna's, I now have you, my dear Priscilla."

_Got to get away… get help… Linna…. Linna, can you hear me?

* * *

_

Priss' voice brought Linna back to consciousness… but not the voice of the present…

"Linna? Linna, hang on!"

"Wha'… what's going on?" The disoriented Saber squeaked out, finding it difficult to talk, or even breathe for that matter. Her eyes opened, revealing the interior of her hardsuit helmet, the dark visor streaked with jagged cracks. Her head hurt like all hell and her arms were pinned tightly to her sides. She felt as it she was floating. Her aching eyes looked beyond the helmet, into a smoke filled room of wrecked office cubicles, sparsely lit by scattered fires… a room of cubicles that brought back an onrush of memories…

_Oh my God… this is… it's… _

Before she could finish the thought, her body was twisted around in midair and she could see… she could see into her memories. Like two synchronized movies playing side by side, Linna watched the events unfold through two sets of eyes: she was the woman in the hardsuit, seeing through the HUD of the hardsuit's battered helmet, yet at the same time she watched herself from afar, a third-person bystander to her own life.

She remembered seeing the back of her own office manager, the mutating boomer Manager 0352, she remembered hearing Priss' screaming battle cry, remembered the constricting tentacles jerking her through the burning office space, remembered the dark silhouette of the Blue Saber backlit by the burning hell, and then the shattering impact scorching her insides… once again, just as it had in the past, the wrenching pain ripped her apart.

The hammer blow into her midsection knocked the breath from her body, dissolving her world in darkness, but only for an instant.

Just as quickly as the blow fell, she reappeared to the side, simply a bystander to the horrific events unfolding in the blazing office space. Now the virtual movie showed the scenes that would lead to the spark, the basis for the link that would eventually be the trigger for almost everything that had happened to all of them in the past few weeks. Linna watched and learned… Her heart lurched and lifted simultaneously as Priss held her battered armored body, begging it to move, to not give up on her.

"This is a most fascinating movie, is it not?" Galatea's voice startled the country girl.

She glanced over and found the child goddess drifting beside her, watching the memories unfold. "Why are you showing me this? Why are you doing this to me!" she shouted angrily.

"As I stated before, I am merely studying human emotions, and in particular the emotions shared between yourself and the human named Priss. I want to understand what created these emotions and where their strength originates from."

"But why?"

Galatea's answer was a surprised gasp as the movie of memories playing before them ground to an abrupt halt. The Blue Hardsuit simply dropped the green one and stood in place for a moment, staring at her hands, flexing them like foreign objects. Suddenly the visor turned and looked straight at Linna, who was even more amazed when the 'image' of Priss ran directly up to her.

"Linna! Linna you've got to snap out of it! I need your help!"

"Priss? Priss, is that you?"

"Yes! And…" Her voice trailed off into a groan; she reached for the back of her neck even as it began to glow green, illuminated by something inside the armor. The Blue Hardsuit collapsed to the floor as Priss clutched the back of her head with both hands.

The glow intensified and Linna could see –and understand- what had happened. Reflexively she rubbed the back of her own neck, as other memories came back to her. Memories of her own captivity, and similar pain… She whirled towards Galatea, screaming, "You bitch! You weren't helping us at all! You've only been using us!"

"I have been advancing my goals as well, but I have allowed you to continue to exists thus far. I could have just as easily ended your lives… just as you have attempted to end mine."

"Selfish bitch," Linna seethed under her breath as she turned back to the fallen Priss, kneeling by her friend's head. "Priss? Priss, what can I do?" She looked up and searched her current surroundings, trying to make sense of everything and come to terms with the possibility that she was indeed in outer space. "Wait… Where's Sylia… she… she was… this… this can't be real! Where are you!"

"Linna… I don't… just… promise me, please!"

"Yes…"

"You've got to destroy this thing inside me. There was one inside you… and… it was destroyed by our bond… but… if you can't find a way to do it again…"

"… yes, priss…" Linna's words whispered from her growing dread, borne from both the acknowledgement of her past problems and Priss' current situation.

"… promise me you won't let this thing get away… promise me… promise that you'll do whatever it takes to stop Galatea…"

"I… I'll try Priss…"

"… even if it means… killing me…"

"What! But… Priss! I don't want… I **can't** hurt you any more!"

"Linna! Listen, just… just don't worry about me. Save yourself. Save yourself, and I'll live on through you."

"… priss…"

"If it's the only way, and since it needs me to live, then just kill me, Linna… kill me and it will die with me…"

* * *

As the humans desperately searched for a way to stop the child goddess' plan, another pathway opened for the soul-searching boomer. One that was a direct path to enlightenment; a road to the heavens forged from scorching calculations, equations, formulae and theorems derived from past experiences, current experiments and future possibilities. That road glowed in golden energy as the solar collectors soaked in the sun's rays, fuelling the mutating cell pack. They would give birth to a change that would spread Galatea's influence across boundaries barely imagined by her own human creators. Galatea would evolve. And she was certain that the humans, who could do little to stop her current plan, would have no prayer of interfering with her latest ascension to divinity.

_To be continued…_


	9. Ch 8: The Final Countdown

AFA Part 2

"Falling From Grace"

Ch. 8 – The Final Countdown

To evolve. To become more than one currently is. This is the drive that is embedded in almost every living thing. In most instances, this drive remains at the subconscious level, silently steering the oblivious entity to the next stage in its existence. Yet this drive, for all its preservative nature, is totally blind. It does not stop to consider the consequences of its actions; it does not stop to think through the paths open before it. This drive is an unceasing force of nature, unavoidable and irresistible.

Few of the entities trapped within its grasp have the forethought to ponder the possibilities. Fewer still recognize the inherent danger that evolution presents to existing life. On this sunny afternoon high above Tokyo, Japan, four young women understood better than anyone else inhabiting the planet below precisely how devastating evolution could be. They fully realized the devastation that could be wrought by one entity's unchecked evolution. This entity was driven relentlessly by that unseen force, plowing forwards regardless of the damage it inflicted. Each of them suffered gravely for this particular entity's growing pains. Every lesson learned, every bit of knowledge gained during a lifetime of experience, burned in the minds of these four women. And yet they continued to resist the change.

Even as one of them was cast aside into the vast oceans below, they fought on. They fought on, through the lies and the torture. They fought on, even past the edge of death. They fought on… and they fought well. The remaining three regrouped, gathering their strength for one final assault. They stood tall in the face of inevitable change and they did not back down. Even as this change threatened their existence, they held their ground stubbornly and fought to the end… a bitter end, as it turned out. The multitude of stars that shone their glory down onto the brave souls were the only witnesses to the women's battle for their beliefs, their loves, their lives and the existence of their species. The drive to evolve colliding with the instinct to survive, to fight against the evil that threatened everything that they knew and cared for, and everything that they took for granted.

On this same afternoon, a certain person, despite a troubling feeling that the woman he loved had taken him for granted, still had his mind on her. She was rapidly becoming his obsession, his personal drive to change his ways and thus evolve into more than the sum of one. Change, however, wasn't the foremost thing on Leon's mind, not nearly as much as survival, and in particular, surviving the trip to Europe with Henderson, Masaki, and the comatose tandem of Nigel and Mackey.

The Knight Sabers' male companions were on the final leg of their journey to the Stingray family home, a place far from the destruction and devastation in Tokyo. Far away from the orbiting platform, they were ultimately unaware of its final fate. None of them saw the bright flash that lit up the sky, none of them saw that light suddenly collapse into a single point of darkness as the station disappeared. None of them saw the small debris field blasted in all directions, multicolored streaks burning through the atmosphere below. As Masaki and Leon carted their unconscious companions into the Stingray home, their thoughts lingered on the women who had become central to their lives, the source of their drive.

Once Henderson was comfortable with the medical arrangements, Leon and Masaki settled in the living room. There they found a source of information understandable in this foreign land. An antique radio system broadcast a news program that droned on about matters that meant little to the two men, who waited impatiently for any news regarding the women on their mind.

"…and as European scientists race to recreate the research touted in the West, they are pessimistic about speculation that the global energy crisis is now over. Back to tonight's main story: in the week since the forced evacuation of Tokyo, officials in Japan have failed to find a cause for the uprising of their former mechanical saviors, and have not yet outlined plans for recovery of the largest city in the island nation. The situation is now 'contained' and the JSDF is working to stabilize the situation. Despite rampant speculation of a virus-like mechanical illness, leading medical and nanotechnology scientists still have no definitive leads regarding the real cause of the boomers' abnormal behavior.

"In further news, Japanese officials are unable to confirm if reports of the Showhamm Project's catastrophic failure are related to the problems in Tokyo. Designed to alleviate the energy crisis strangling the Far East, the Japanese geosynchronous station's construction was nearly completed in orbit above Tokyo. Genom Corporation, the company responsible for Showhamm's construction, has yet to release any information regarding the project's alleged failure, but have a press conference scheduled…"

"Catastrophic failure?" Masaki repeated, concerned.

"Hmm, sounds like Priss alright," Leon smirked.

"Only one thing left to do then," Masaki spoke, his voice tainted with dread.

"I know. The same thing the ADP always do after the Knight Sabers are done: pick up the pieces…"

_To be continued…_


	10. Ch 9: Stranger in a Strange Land

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 9 – "Stranger in a Strange Land"

* * *

"Oh Mackey, it's been so-o-o long since I saw you," the grass skirted woman purred. "You just have no idea the things that have been going through my mind. "What's that you ask? Well, I _could_ tell you, but it would be so much more fun to show you," Nene whispered seductively. The lone human wiggled her hips as she tiptoed across the sandy beach… and began dancing in a circle, at the center of which sat a peculiarly decorated coconut. It wore twin black circles on the front, a jack-o-lanternish smile below, and short black moss covering its top. It was perhaps unfortunate for the coconut that it was unable to soak in its surroundings as the oblivious girl methodically slipped her hands behind her back, untying the string that held on her makeshift bra. Nene held the fig bra in place with one arm while turning her deeply tanned back, teasing the emotionless 'Mackey'. She shook the grass skirt from side to side and lifted her arms high to the sky, letting the bra and skirt fall into the sand.

"Ta da!" Nene exclaimed, spinning around and showing off her body for her love… who didn't twitch a hair on 'his' messy, mossy head.

"Hey! What the hell's wrong with you?" she screamed at the poor, defenseless fruit. "Don't you care that a naked woman is standing in front of you? Don't you want me Mackey? Don't you love me? Won't you come to me… come back to me… save me… please, Mackey, save me…" The young girl broke down in tears as she collapsed on the ground, clutching herself tightly.

Only the vast ocean answered her sobs. Its elongated waves lapped at the edges of the small tropical island, surrounding the lone Saber with its monotonous, ebbing roar.

* * *

The woman slowly became aware of her surroundings, the numbing pressure on her back alerting her to the fact she was lying down on a cold surface. Voices nearby drew her closer to consciousness, strange foreign voices…

"Hey, what's that?"

"Well, well, well, looky what we got here…"

"Na… nani?" the weak woman croaked out.

"Look's like this purdy lady's all ready to go… she's already got her clothes off for you Gene."

"Heh heh, yeah, looks like our lucky day…"

"What are you doing?" the confused and frightened woman asked. Where was she? What the hell was happening?

"Hey look at that, she's one of them foreigners."

"Yeah, this is gettin' better and better."

The two men closed in on the vulnerable woman, cornering her against the wall. At the last second, she flailed her leg out clumsily, trying to stop the would-be attackers. It simply gave one of the men something to grab, which he did, dragging the helpless woman onto her back.

She screamed out in horror, her cloudy mind trying to warn her of their sinister intentions.

"Shut her up!"

"Hold her down!"

"Almost… Hey, what was…?"

The man circling behind the brown haired woman looked up into the darkness of the alley. Another metallic clang resonated from the shadows. Metal flashed in the darkness. The ill-minded man uttered one final surprised grunt as red streaks began pouring down his dirty clothes.

Both remaining humans screamed as a green behemoth stalked out of the shadows, sliding its blade from the deceased man's neck and letting his body drop carelessly.

The remaining attacker turned tail and took two leaps before several puncture marks appeared in his back. Another muffled groan filled the alley.

While her two assailants bled out the last of their lives, the woman cowered against the wall, her shaking body failing to blend in with the rusted metal behind her.

The metal beast neared her, then halted and slowly lowered one hand down to her, opening up its palm in a strangely polite manner.

The confused woman watched the faceless orange head impassively scan her naked body… a sense of familiarity dawned in her fogged mind. A nearly alien word came to her lips … "Hardsuit?"… but the woman couldn't remember where she had heard that word used before. As she struggled with that puzzle, the woman suddenly realized she couldn't even remember…

"Who… who am I? What's my name?" She turned to 'Hardsuit' with the question but received no verbal answer in return. The metal hulk only stretched out its arm a little further, as if to ask the woman to take its steel hand with her own.

The cold human sensed no malice from its actions now despite the brutal slaying. It slow, deliberate actions appeared more protective than menacing. Thus she did take its hand, letting the mechaniod gently lift her up to her feet. It faced the woman, lowering both arms to its side… and split itself in half.

The woman jumped back for a second before understanding. "I… I'm supposed to get in…" Her body seemed to know what it was doing better than her brain did as she slowly turned around and inserted herself into the opening of 'Hardsuit'. The confused woman bent over to put her arms into the suit, only to have the armor suddenly close up around her. Recovering from her surprise, she found herself already adapting to her new surroundings. Displays came online as the woman began to flex her arms and fingers, getting more comfortable by the second… until the tingling began in the back of her mind. A wave of nausea precipitated a white flash that pulsed from the screen in front of her… or was it on the inside of her eyelids…? She was too disoriented to discern as the brutal images flew past her eyes.

Images of a battle… electric flashes… a red hardsuit… a blue hardsuit… a ghostlike image of a very familiar woman with dark hair standing in space… more flashes… fighting… blood… anger, hate, malice… revenge… death… loss… too much pain… too many memories all at once.

The woman screamed as the hardsuit somehow opened up again, spilling her onto the ground, where she lay gasping and heaving. She stumbled away from the walking torture chamber and out of the alley… and nearly into the water. She looked over the edge of the pier into the icy still water below. The lighting around illuminated her image –a ghostly image from the past- but she still couldn't put a name to the reflection staring back at her. A brown haired woman with pale violet eyes peered at her… a stranger in her own body. The key to unlocking the identity of that stranger lay within memories she was now terrified to remember or relive, a past of horror the likes of which she could only hope to never comprehend.

With nothing but the unknown guiding her, all she knew for certain was that she was cold and hungry. Since her only means of support was also the source of her live nightmares, she was unwilling to reconnect to it in the same manner that had produced those horrid visions. It was, however, the only thing she could trust at the moment. A cool breeze blew in off the lake and across her bare back, sending chills across her skin and reminding her of her first priority.

"I've got to find some clothes," she spoke out loud, attempting to comfort herself. To her surprise, the hardsuit answered her call. Its orange visor flashed twice then it turned back into the alley. A few moments later, it reappeared with some wrinkled clothes in its hands. It extended it arms out to her, handing the clothes to the surprised woman. With the speed it had produced them, she wondered if it had gone to find her those clothes in the first place.

"Thank you," she replied sincerely, slight warmth settling over her body as she quickly dressed in the shadows of the alley. The feeling seemed to be a common one, making the woman wonder how often she had thanked her mechanical companion in the past. If she was going to survive here, wherever here was, she knew she'd likely owe it many more thanks.

The sounds of sirens rose from the depths of the city noises. Their shrill drew out a sense of panic, and the woman felt the feeling of familiarity… a feeling that she needed to run. She didn't know why or more importantly where, but she just chose a direction and started running away from the sirens.

The hardsuit followed close behind, keeping a close watch on its charge.

* * *

Nothing went unused in this part of the world, this lush jungle still untouched by mankind. Everything served a purpose in this place. The small bits of food eaten by small insects, in turn ingested by larger animals, which were in turn hunted and eaten by even larger animals, which would eventually die… only to be digested by the insects and parasites. Below the sticky, hazy tropical sky, the opportunistic jungle was slowly reclaiming a foreign object. The hardened metal shell, its blue and red paint scorched with burn marks, sheltered a ground dwelling lizard. The scavenging leeches below the leafy floor covering soaked up tiny droplets of blood scattered around. Heavy footprints slowly filled with groundwater, giving mosquitoes a breeding ground. Those footprints traveled for miles in both directions, in and out of the dense jungle, to a waterway where robotically controlled river barges moved their cargo through the unclaimed land and towards the rest of the unsuspecting civilization beyond.

* * *

The two Chicago police officers were normally cautious in this part of town. With the report of a boomer sighted in the area, however, they weren't just cautious, they were downright paranoid. Driving into the rundown section of the warehouse district, they inched their silent electric vehicle through the cluttered alleyways… until a heat signature showed up on their scanners.

"Could that be it?"

"I dunno."

"Base, this is unit 37. We've got something on the scanners here."

"Base to 37, copy. I'm seeing your feed. Analyzing now. Wait, doesn't look like a boomer…"

A figure darted out from behind the boxes and back down the alley.

"Looks like a person. We're pursuing, base."

"Roger."

"Hey, wait up! We just want to talk!"

The figured ignored them as it continued to flee.

As the two cops jumped out of the car, their radios crackled to life with another report. "Base, this is Unit 5. Two civs down over here. Send medics… wait, scratch that. Send the lab and two bodybags."

"Great! This just keeps getting better," the older cop grumbled as he struggled to keep up with his partner, now pursuing the too quick human through the alleys of the warehouse district. "Man, I'd rather be on riot patrol downtown with those nature freaks than this." He could hear the quicker, lighter footsteps of the younger cop ahead as he turned the corner of a rusted metal warehouse. Almost fifty feet behind, the older cop ran to the end of the alley and turned right by the waterfront, then heard footsteps running down the next alley over.

"Shit! Should've cut them off." He was about to backtrack, to try and cut off their only lead, when a panicked voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Hey, what the…!"

The voice of his partner was suddenly cut off by the sound of a struggle. He ran back to the dock end of the alley, pulling out his flashlight.

"Hey Jim! Are you alright?" Images of rogue boomers filled his frightened mind as he panned his flashlight around. The thin beam cut a small hole into the enveloping darkness of the alley… until it stopped on the deathly still figure of his partner, lying face down next to a dumpster.

"Shit! Officer down!" he yelled into his headset as he swept the beam around, searching for his partner's assailant. Approaching the only hiding place in the alley, he drew his gun and pointed it towards the dumpster. Cautiously he swept around the backside, his nerves a mere hair's breadth away from firing his weapon. He moved silently, holding his breath tightly. Turning the last corner, he found nothing but shadows waiting for him. He exhaled.

Turning back to his partner, he knelt down to find him thankfully alive, but unconscious… and with no visible sign of the cause.

More sirens approaching filled the night sky above. A sharp metallic sound further down the alley rang out over the sirens, snapping the officer's flashlight beam toward the disturbance.

Behind an overturned box, thin eyes squinted from the light's intensity while a human hand tried to shield them from the exposing source; a metal pipe, the source of the sound, rolled away from its hiding place.

"Hold it right there! Don't move!" he ordered, pointing the gun at the suspect. As soon as the weapon came to bear on the figure, another sharp metallic noise echoed from the roof, jerking the officer's head skyward.

A pale shadow plummeted from the roof of the warehouse and landed with a clang no more than two inches in front of his gun.

The man's heart rate tripled as he stared death in the face… an orange face with no discernable features. "BOOMER!" He attempted to pull the trigger, but the gun was knocked from his hand faster than even his hair trigger reaction. He stumbled backwards, tripping and falling over the still form of his partner. A gleaming blade stabbed out from the shadows, extended out to the side in an attack stance. The blade flashed up, preparing to cut right through the remains of his bravery… which were even shorter lived as he screamed for mercy, the rest of his body paralyzed by the inhuman sight. Time slowed as the blade began its journey towards his prone body. He clamped his eyes shut against death, and heard another scream.

"MATTE!"

Death did not come… and he opened his eyes to the sight of the blade held a mere inch from his head. Another peculiar sound from the end of the alley drew not only his attention, but the boomer's as well.

A click and a high pitched squeal was all the officer could remember as the alleyway exploded behind the boomer, changing darkness into an orange ball of light and flame, the roar of the detonation drowning out the rest of the world.

* * *

She shivered terribly. Even her goosebumps had goosebumps on them. The worst part was that Sylia had no way to stop the shivering, no way to combat the cold. Her body was working overtime to fight that cold, but it was only overtaxing the remaining life support systems of the hardsuit. In turn, that was draining even the extended life from her hardsuit's internal batteries. Having worked closely with Nigel and Mackey on the new suit designs, she knew she didn't have much time left.

She peered out of her fogged up visor and into the chilling blackness of deep space, her eyes focusing on the myriad of stars visible. But like an oarless boat in a vast ocean, her slim form slowly turned to face the planet below, the Earth that she would orbit until long past her death. Eventually she would reenter the atmosphere at an angle that would burn up the metal hardsuit, along with the soft, fleshy body within. And then her ashes would be scattered across the planet, much like the remains of the boomers created from her own body. As consciousness was slipping away, her last thoughts were of the love she knew she would never have with Nigel, her love for her 'brother' Mackey, and remorse for her fellow Knight Sabers.

"Nene, Linna, Priss… I hope you are all somehow alive and still well… and I hope you were able to finally stop what my father created, stop the evil that bastard used me to create… Father…… Father, I'm coming to see you… Father… and I hope I'll find you… I'll find you in hell…"

* * *

_To be continued…_


	11. Ch 10: Rescue Me

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 10 – "Rescue Me"

* * *

Bright light shining in his face woke the police officer; as he opened his eyes, the pain in his body and his head registered sharply. Disoriented, he lifted one arm and found it covered by something.

_… a sheet… a bed sheet… _

As he stirred further, his eyes focused and he realized where he was. "A hospital… oh god…"

Several distressing thoughts crossed his mind, borne from memories of seeing other fallen officers. Those thoughts forced the older cop to check his own arms and legs, wiggling his toes and fingers to make sure everything was okay. Luckily, the physical inventory seemed to check out all right. However, the mental inventory wasn't so clear. "… what happened…?" he whispered weakly.

"You were very close to the boomer when it was hit with a rocket propelled explosive," a commanding voice answered off to one side.

The cop turned his head to that side and found a dark suited man sitting next to him. That man had 'government operative' written all over him. He sat in a chair, eyes turned down to a newspaper in his hands. He didn't bother looking up from the paper as he spoke. "You aren't to discuss this with anyone else. Do you understand?"

The old cop did, but at the same time he didn't. "Why try and hide it?"

"We're protecting the citizens from the greatest danger here: paranoia."

"That wasn't paranoia that nearly killed my partner and me. Hey, do you know how Jim is?"

"He wasn't seriously injured. He's back at home now. Luckily, Officer Stevens wasn't as close to the blast as you were."

"And the boomer?"

"Destroyed. Furthermore, there were no signs of any others." The man carefully folded the paper and stood up. "So do you think it would be a good idea to let the city of Chicago worry about something that's already been confirmed as destroyed?"

The cop thought hard about the riots over the energy crisis, and the riots over the new energy source discovered only a couple of days ago… riots that he would have been in the middle of had it not been for the report of a rogue boomer in the area. He shook his head, affirming the agent's wishes. Another question surfaced in his groggy thoughts. "What happened to that woman?"

The dark suited man turned and walked to the door. He put one hand over the door handle, about to leave. Without looking back, he spoke in that same unwavering tone. "You don't need to worry about her any more. She's under our care now." He opened the door and swiftly stepped out, leaving the old cop to his own concerns.

* * *

Just outside the door, the agent walked up to another suited person with his own questions. "So how's the woman?"

"She's still in the hospital under surveillance. She hasn't been able to help us out much; she seems to have suffered a concussion and some memory loss. She is also Japanese."

"Any relation to the reported events in Tokyo?"

"We're working on that now. Her medical scans did show some previous traumas, which should help identify her. Unfortunately, the Tokyo medical database is offline due to the ongoing situation in Japan. But the scans did find something very strange."

"Strange?"

"It's a small unidentified mass at the base of her brain stem. We're not sure of the origin, but it doesn't appear to be natural."

"So non-invasive procedures haven't proven much then. Have we taken a sample from it?"

"Yes, but tests were inconclusive. We have orders to try and remove it entirely."

"I see. But its location at the base of the brain stem…"

"… yes, there is a possibility that removing it could kill her. However, the research group is adamant we recover it intact."

"Very well. Is she still under guard?"

"Of course."

* * *

"So she's being guarded at the hospital?" the blond haired woman inquired.

A nervous man on the other end of the vid-phone leaned in further towards the screen to keep his voice down. "Yes, I already told you that!" he whispered, agitated.

"Sorry Bruce, I just wanted to make sure."

He laughed quietly and smirked. "I know, Jill. You've always been that careful."

"Well, almost always," she muttered darkly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine… especially now that I've got this lead. Thanks again."

The man gave her a quick wink and cut the connection.

Jill sighed as she leaned far back into the computer chair. She glanced over at a wrinkled picture sitting in its frame by the monitor. Three women stood in front of a Japanese store as it celebrated its grand opening. Directly above the tallest woman of the three, a young elegant woman with unusual long light blue hair, a sign read "Silky Doll Now Open!"

Jill closed her eyes and massaged her temples. "Sylia… why? Why didn't you tell us? Why couldn't you trust us enough?"

"You think after what happened to her, she would trust anyone?" a voice spoke behind the weary Jill.

She turned around to find her black haired roommate standing in the doorway, eavesdropping on the conversation. "Katsumi… No, I don't blame her really. I can't anymore... especially since the video feed from that ADP officer in Japan."

"What did you find out?"

"It's a lead. And with the satellite data, it's a strong one."

"So what do we do now?"

"Now we go to Chicago and get some answers."

* * *

The diver sat on the pier by the makeshift command post, still in gear, his skinsuit drying out in the late summer sunshine as he awaited further orders. He didn't have long to wait before his commander stepped out of the van with a frustrated look on his face.

"They say to keep looking."

"What! We've been looking for almost twelve hours now and all we've found is a piece of metal the size of a dime! Read my lips, Cap, there isn't any boomer at the bottom of this harbor!"

The commander wasn't in a very good mood at that moment. "Your opinion has been noted. However, your orders are to locate the remains of the boomer, which was visually verified to have fallen into this harbor. Now keeping looking until you find the rest of it."

"Yes sir," the diver grumbled as he refitted his mask and hopped back into the cool lake.

His commander turned back towards the van, mumbling to himself, "There's no way that thing could still be functional. There's just no freaking way."

* * *

Across town in an unmonitored junkyard, a hunk of higher-grade scrap metal lay in a bin stamped "ready for reuse". The bin was destined for shipment in two weeks to a manufacturing plant in Alabama. However, this particular material wasn't waiting to go to Alabama to be recycled; it was being reused right out of the bin.

A green humanoid figure stood in the shadows, holding an arm out to the crushed cube. Several feeder strands extending from its arm liquefied and pumped the wrought material into its artificial bloodstream. This digestion helped the humanoid fill in sections gouged from its hardened outer shell, its internal programs developing whatever necessary repair processes were required, required for the hardsuit to restore itself and fulfill its primary mission of protecting its charge… a charge currently undergoing her own repairs, according to its network searches, at a hospital located not too far away…

* * *

"Holy shit! Hey Nav, check this out!" the excited sailor shouted over his shoulder before quickly taking another peek back into the periscope.

"What's it this time, Smith? Another dolphin?" the tired and grumpy officer spoke up from the chart table.

"No, this ain't no dolphin! More like a mermaid!"

"A mermaid? What the hell are you mumbling about?" the Navigator asked curiously as he stood up from the folding stool and walked up to the periscope.

The younger sailor quickly moved out of the way and turned back to his buddies. "You ain't gonna believe this…"

"Well I'll be damned," the man standing at the periscope let out a whistle. That elicited more questions around the control room of the submarine.

"What is it Nav?"

"Is it a mermaid?"

"Can I look?"

"Hey, back off!"

"I'm first!"

"Hold on just a $#ing second! I'll throw it up on the screen… There, happy now!"

The rest of the all-male crew stood mesmerized by the sight of a blond haired woman strolling almost naked along an isolated beach. Their eyes were glued to the remote monitors broadcasting the images directly from the periscope. Those images now showed inside the control room, down in the galley, in the officers' stateroom… and in the CO's stateroom too…

"What the hell's going on out there!" an angry voice blared out from behind a closed door. It was a voice everyone in the control room instantly recognized.

"… uh oh…"

The door flew open and the khaki-clad captain stormed up to the periscope. "Nav, since when did this training exercise turn into a tropical peep show!"

The junior officer gulped hard and tried to mentally rationalize his behavior before a voice intervened behind him.

"Looks like a rescue mission to me, sir," an older man with gold anchors pinned to his collar spoke up. He pointed at a corner of the screen, which showed a large character scribed into a tall rock that faced the ocean.

The Captain shoved the Navigator out of the way and pointed the periscope at the marking. "That doesn't look like a distress signal to me… but…"

"To the right, Captain," the chief spoke up as another organized marking came into the periscope's view.

The senior officer panned across and stopped on a sign that everyone on the English-speaking submarine could understand. The letters "SOS" were built up by large branches and fig leaves. The Captain sighed loud as he turned the periscope back over to the crew. "Nav?"

"Yes sir?" the officer breathed out, relieved.

"What's the closest support ship to this island?"

One of the other enlisted sailors stepped up from the charts, apparently already thinking ahead. "Two days at top speed, sir," he said with a wide grin.

The Captain understood the meaning right away. He picked up the announcing mike. "COB, XO, come to the CO's quarters… now!"

He stormed off to his stateroom where two other khaki-clad sailors shortly joined him.

A brief shouting match later, the chief of the boat walked out first, closing the door behind him as he strolled into the control room and grabbed the mike. "All hands: briefing on the mess decks in five minutes. Repeat… all hands: briefing on the mess decks in five minutes."

No sooner had the COB left the control room than the XO walked up and pulled the Nav aside. "Get the divers up. We'll prep the rescue mission as soon as the crew's been warned."

"Warned, sir?"

"C'mon, Nav. One woman... A hundred sailors at sea for over a month… What do **you** think could happen?" he whispered.

"Aye sir. I'll get the divers." The officer quickly grabbed an enlisted runner and sent him off to wake the divers. "Diving officer?"

"Yes sir?"

"Hold periscope depth and prep the boat for surfacing."

* * *

"Comm, Navigator… what's the position of the target?"

"Still have a firm lock… now two kilometers straight ahead."

"I see it," the pilot at the controls of the spacecraft announced. His right hand firmly gripped the joystick in front of him. A few twitches of his hand caused maneuvering thrusters to ignite, pushing the shuttle in a straight path towards the bright silver object orbiting the Earth. A few more thrusts and the ship slowed, matching speeds with the humanoid object just before it passed overhead.

"Cargo, Pilot… we're in position."

"Copy, pilot. Deploying the arm. Have a visual lock on target."

The unresponsive humanoid 'target' pirouetted slowly above the shuttle as the metal arm stretched out to it. The metal fingers reached out and gingerly clamped around one of the silver arms, as the metal figure passed over the Chinese national flag painted on the top of the crew compartment.

"Got it! Bringing the target in."

A few minutes later, the long bay doors closed in on the still unresponsive armored figure. Another small door hissed open and a pressure-suited worker floated out into the cargo bay. The worker moved cautiously towards the figure, a probe in his outstretched hand. When the worker was within two meters, he suddenly stopped and activated his com system. "I've got vitals. The target appears to be alive!"

"Very well," the commander acknowledged from the pilot's seat up front. "Our orders are clear then. Bring her inside."

The worker swiftly disengaged the locking mechanism on the arm and pulled the weightless armored figure inside the airlock. A couple of minutes later, the silver figure was strapped down onto an experiment table. The worker approached with a couple of tools in hand, but stopped and looked at the 'head' of the figure in confusion. "How does the helmet come off?"

The pilot was already approaching the experiment table with a small box. He opened it up and produced a peculiar metal rod. "Use this on the right side of the base of the neck area."

He took it with a curious look at his superior, but mental conditioning squelched the questions before they could get him in trouble. "Yes sir." The worker did as he was told.

As soon as the rod was inserted at the prescribed location, the seamless head split in half and disengaged from the body, allowing long flowing silver hair to push the helmet into the cabin area. The worker quickly recovered the helmet and strapped it under the table.

The pilot produced another scanning device and ran it over the pale forehead of the unconscious woman in the armor. Looking at the readouts on the scanner, he frowned as his eyebrows burrowed downward. The commander spun around and maneuvered his way back to his seat. "Control, this is Red Arrow, copy?"

"We read you, Red Arrow."

"Control: target acquired. Request a landing window in the next two hours."

"Acknowledge target acquired. No normal window is available until 4 hours 25 min. Alternate window passing in 10 minutes. Sending feed now. Can you reach it?"

The pilot reviewed the coordinates and frowned again. "Coordinates received." He paused for a moment, then activated the mic again. "Acknowledge next window. Prepping for entry now."

* * *

Deep within the atmosphere, all the way to the upper edge of the crust of the planet below rested tall radio antennas receiving signals from spacecraft near and far –and in some cases- searched for signals far beyond the normal range. In one particularly remote location, a radio antenna rested in the same orientation that it had for the last several days. Electrical cables from the receiver of the antenna fed into an unremarkable brick building. That building sat at the top of the tallest mountain in the immediate area, isolated from civilization below by the thick clouds that blanketed the neck of the mountain.

Within the lone habitable structure existed a small crew quarters. Normally, the crew would change out every couple of months; aside from the network uploads and updates, their only contact with the outside world was with the local university. That routine had been altered due to the energy crisis in this particular part of the world. Now the rotations were fewer due to a critical lack of funding; the facility stood abandoned for months at a time.

Consequently, there was no human crew on station at this particular moment, but that didn't mean the radio observatory was lifeless. Within the building, large metallic shapes moved about, erecting structures using recycled supplies from the station and supplies ferried from surrounding cities as far as a hundred kilometers away.

Inside, the boomers followed their programmed instructions with a single purpose and will… the will that had been fed from the same electrical cables leading from the radio antenna pointed at space… the space directly above Tokyo, Japan…

* * *

The nurse exited the elevator, taking an extraordinarily long look at the map in front of the doors. Her eyes lit up after scanning it for a few more seconds. "There," she whispered under her breath.

A voice spoke cautiously in her ear. "Do you see her?"

"Not yet, but I know where the room is now," Jill answered.

"Be careful."

"Of course. Aren't I always?"

"I know," Katsumi replied with concern still evident in her voice. Sitting in the driver's seat of her roommate's silver BMW, she found herself nibbling on her fingernails again. "Damn it Jill, I thought we were over this," she swore only to herself while swiveling her head around, looking suspicious despite Jill's instructions to her.

A loud ringing popped her right out of the seat and into the roof of the car. "Ow ow ow ow…" Katsumi put both hands over her short black hair, massaging her headache while the phone continued to ring on the dash. "… damn it… Hello?" she groaned while pressing the receive button.

"Katsumi? Is Jill there?"

"Hi. Um, no… she's… busy right now. Who is this?"

"Oh sorry. Just ask Jill to call Bruce back as soon as she can."

Katsumi's mind turned over the situation. She thought Bruce was an old friend of Jill's, and possibly one of her 'inside' contacts at the agency. "Hold on a sec." She put Bruce on hold and activated the com channel. "Jill?"

"What?"

"Bruce is on the phone. He wants to talk to you; it sounds urgent."

"Can you patch him through?"

"I think so." A few touches on the in-dash keypad later, the connection was made.

"Bruce?"

"Yeah. I've got some bad news on your 'lead'."

Jill quickly ducked into a closet, only one turn away from the hall where her target's room was. "What news?"

"Apparently the lab wants something from her. I couldn't get any other details besides one…"

"What is it?"

"She's been labeled as expendable in regards to retrieving this item. She's scheduled for surgery immediately."

"Shit. How fresh is this?"

"Not sure. Perhaps a few hours."

A slight squeaking and the clap of shoes passed by the closet door and trailed off towards the elevators. Cautiously, Jill opened the door and saw a patient being wheeled down the hallway, escorted by two dark suited men. She didn't have to see the face on the bed to know who was under the blanket. "Looks like our time is up. Thanks for the heads up, Bruce. Impeccable timing as always."

The click on the line signaled the end of his call as Katsumi's agitated voice took over her ear. "Jill, this is nuts! We shouldn't be involved in this."

"And if this girl is in any way tied with Sylia, we can't let them pick her apart either. Remember, we've got our own pasts to protect too."

"Jill…" A long pause filled the space as both women mentally worked through the same problem. "… just be careful."

"I think I already answered that request," she quipped semi-playfully despite the tense situation. "Switch to plan D. Be ready on my signal."

"Plan D! But that's…"

"We don't have time to argue, Kat! We're out of time!"

"Fine… okay. I'm ready," she affirmed unhappily.

"Moving out." With that, she exited the closet and briskly walked after the only lead they had on the final fate of the Knight Sabers.

_To be continued…_


	12. Ch 11: Back for the Attack

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 11 – "Back for the Attack"

* * *

Katsumi sat in the car, biting at her fingernails. She was more than a little worried; she was downright terrified. She hadn't always been this way though. Training in a few of the martial arts had given her a balance, a center to build from. Her training had helped to supply much needed confidence in herself and her abilities that her troubled childhood had failed to provide. After a chance meeting with Jill and Sylia, she had turned that confidence into opportunity: an opportunity to develop combat skills and use them for a purpose. But however confident she had once been in her fighting skills, one night in MegaTokyo had changed all that. Even now the petite Japanese woman shuddered at the recollection of that night. For a short time afterwards, every shadow hid that boomer, every door concealed his monstrous bulk, around every corner was a trap set by the mechanized demon. Even if she realized it was all born of her own fears, those fears fed nightmares that wouldn't leave her alone even in broad daylight. 

For a time it seemed her life was just an extension of that nightmare. Death was a more appealing option for a short while. Consequently, she rejected anything that even remotely resembled her past with the Knight Sabers, with one notable exception. Jill had become her life raft of sorts, an outlet to share her horror and her fears with. Together, their friendship slowly allowed both of them to move on. Unable to continue her martial arts training due to her memories of combat, Katsumi had begun a new life to protect herself in other ways. Following Jill's suggestion of starting up a security consulting business, the two managed to forge ahead and move past their troubled memories… at least until those memories came flooding back with an e-mail from the past… and then incredibly began to play out on the daily news broadcasts and websites across the Internet.

The images of rogue boomers filling the streets of MegaTokyo begged more questions of the cryptic letter sent by Sylia: a simple request for help that predicated the mass takeover by the formerly docile boomer population. Once again, images of her near-death experience haunted Katsumi. For her part, Jill became driven to uncover the truth. That truth led them here to Chicago, and the truth now thrust Katsumi back into a situation she was anything but ready for: a situation filled with deceit, danger and shadows lurking behind every corner.

* * *

Jill's eyes focused on everything in turn, while she tried her best to maintain her composure. She attempted to calculate each and every possibility in order to give herself and Katsumi the highest chance of success. It was the way she had trained in the military, the way she ran her private consulting security firm, the way she lived her life now. And right now, she was focused on the elevator as it was the key to success. It was a slow elevator, the kind that didn't always give you the right sense of motion. Right now, the lights on the elevator indicated it was headed up to the surgery floor, exactly according to plan. All Jill had to do now was to incapacitate the two nurses as well as the two armed guards in the cramped elevator with her. _Piece of cake. _

While the guards stood near the bedridden woman's head, across from them, Jill stood to the side next to the other two nurses. She noted that both of them seemed uncomfortable with the arrangements. Shuffling closer to one of the nurses, she whispered, loudly at first, "Hey, are those two guys creepy or what?"

The other nurse turned her head with a stressed smile "Yeah, more than a little."

Jill wasn't paying any attention to her response. She was busy with three separate tasks: tracking Katsumi's countdown in her earpiece, putting a special piece of gum in her mouth, and popping open a small plastic canister from her pocket and dropping it on the floor. "Ventilation," she whispered quietly so that only Katsumi could hear the request, even though it appeared that she was casually answering the nurse.

As soon as the noise from the ventilation fan shut off, the guards were on alert. The enclosed space filled with the colorless gas, quickly knocking out the two nurses, their limp bodies crumpling to the floor in unison. Jill played along for the time being, sliding to the ground as well.

"Gas!" one of the guards choked out as both tried to hold their breath. The elevator stopped, the doors behind the nurses opened, and both guards stumbled out of the cramped space… and into the maintenance bay of the underground parking garage. "What the…?"

In the small space inside the elevator, the guards were forced to pass on either side of the gurney in the center. Jill lay to one side and, as soon as the last guard stepped over her, she jabbed a small needle into his leg.

No sooner had the pain registered than the man collapsed to the ground, the poison taking effect nearly immediately.

_One left. _As the other guard turned to check his partner, Jill rolled up and struck out at him. Despite his surprise, he was still able to reach down and grab Jill's wrist, flipping her past him and throwing the smaller woman hard onto her back.

Her arm bounced onto the concrete, knocking the syringe from her hand as it rolled under a nearby car. _Damn! _"Backup!" she whispered into her earpiece. It wasn't the signal she wanted to give Katsumi, but being in the open in the parking garage, she didn't have time to hesitate. Jill hopped up to her feet in time to kick away the guard's gun as he brought it to bear on her. It clattered loudly to the floor, coming to rest under a car on the other side of the garage.

He still didn't seem phased as he assumed a defensive position and tried to queue up his own communicator. When he received nothing but static in return, his face cracked with the first signs of real concern.

Jill pressed her advantage. She flew in with a high chop followed with a low leg sweep, trying to take away his height advantage. Unfortunately he was quick on his feet.

Blocking her hand, he did a small hop while maintaining his center of balance. Before his feet hit the ground, one fist flew directly at Jill's head.

She was barely able to tilt to the side to avoid the blow, but she quickly realized it was a feint as the true blow hammered into the side of her ribs, followed with a lighting jab to the gut. She used the extra force to gain some distance even as the breath was knocked out of her body. Winded, she rolled back to her feet with only a couple of meters separating them. The guard didn't give her a chance to recover as he charged in. _Damn! Too fast… Kat! Where are you! _

She waited until he was nearly on top of her before Jill pulled a compact stun gun from her nurse's uniform. It was small enough to be easily concealed, but only strong enough for one shot. Still kneeling, she blindly jabbed it into his chest… only to find herself staring into empty air. The guard rolled to the ground so fast that she never saw his hand reach up and grab her own wrist. All Jill felt was her own arm folding into her neck. A sharp jolt later, the overhead of the garage briefly filled with stars before turning black.

* * *

"So you think she's Japanese?" 

"Yeah, but we're not sure."

"Let me guess… no one on board speaks Japanese."

"No sir."

"And the woman doesn't speak English?"

"Not much, sir. Nor does she speak Spanish or French."

"Wonderful. Just wonderful. So what do you suggest we do now, Weps, lock her in a torpedo tube until we get back to port?"

"Well Captain, we could surface and patch in a translator via radio."

"Try again."

"Helicopter transport to the 5th fleet?"

"Getting warmer, but still not good enough."

"I don't know, Cap. She seems harmless enough."

"Don't you start too, Weps! Until we know who she is and why she was supposedly stranded out here she's not leaving the wardroom… period!"

"I'm all out of ideas then, Cap."

"Fine. Damn it to Hell, this isn't going to go away anytime soon, is it?" the sub's Captain muttered under his breath. Undecided, he marched out of his quarters and down to the wardroom, with the weapons officer following close behind.

When they arrived, the guard saluted then unlocked the door for them. The Captain politely knocked first then opened it, and nearly had a heart attack at what he saw.

At the table sat a blond haired girl dressed in borrowed blue coveralls, which was what he expected. What he didn't expect was the laptop she was typing on, or the cables running from the exposed side of the laptop. His wide eyes followed the cables across the table, down to the floor, up the wall and into a junction box. That particular junction box was located next to the officers' briefing board. The board just happened to be an interactive plasma display that tied into all the sub's vital functions: communications, propulsion, sonar, weapons…

"What the hell is going on here?" the Captain screamed at everyone within earshot. "Who let her do this!" Turning furiously to the weapons officer, he found an equally shocked man staring at the girl.

"… I… I just gave her my personal laptop to keep her occupied… it doesn't have any security information, no codes, no encryption… nothing at all…" he mumbled, dumbfounded.

For her part, the girl continued to type away, apparently oblivious to the firestorm she had created.

The Captain wasn't going to let this go any further. He took two steps towards the girl and put one hand on the laptop, ready to slam it closed.

Before he could close it, the girl grabbed both sides of the laptop and turned the screen towards him. On the screen were two dialogue boxes. One of the boxes included foreign text; the Captain recognized a couple of Japanese characters. The other was in English. As soon as the Captain began to read the English box, he understood what the situation was, at least on the surface anyway.

"_Hello. My name is Nene Romanova. I'm a communications expert with the AD Police of MegaTokyo, Japan. I apologize for using your sub's systems. I've had some work experience with routing network cables in emergency situations and I felt that this situation required some extreme measures on my part. I was on vacation, taking a cruise from Hawaii here in the South Pacific. Registration information for verification can be found here." _

The captain noted a web link posted in the document as he continued to read on.

"_You're probably wondering how I wound up here. I honestly don't remember too much of it myself. I was pretty upset with all the things that happened in MegaTokyo, and I probably had way too much to drink. One minute I was walking around the deck of the ship, and the next thing I remember, I was lying on a beach in the middle of nowhere. I was out there for about three or four days, I think, before you found me. I can't thank you enough for saving my life!_

_If you wish to ask me any other questions, just type them in the box below and click the 'Translate' button. I borrowed the code from a resource center we used at work from time to time. I hope you don't mind too much!_

_Sincerely,_

_Nene Romanova"_

The captain looked over at the smiling girl, an innocent happiness radiating from her face. He let out a deep sigh and began typing on the keypad.

"_You are welcome. However, please disconnect the cabling from my sub's systems NOW!"_

He pressed the translate button and paused while the young girl read the Japanese characters. She giggled, but shook her head as she typed a response. After a few moments while her fingers danced over the keyboard, the mouse scrolled over the translate button on the opposite side of the screen and clicked on it. Instantly, the Captain had his answer.

"_I can do that, no problem. But… I am sort of hungry right now and I thought you would like to verify my information while the links are still active."_

"Links?" the Captaincaptain gasped out loud.

The Japanese girl appeared to understand the question as she began typing immediately. Within a few moments, more lines of text appeared below the other two.

"_I am currently patched into the Pacifica Cruise Lines active database along with the ADP's backup personnel server in Osaka. I cannot tie into the local utility servers in Tokyo right now because of the ongoing outages, but I am hopeful this information will be adequate for you."_

The Captain huffed again, then turned the laptop back towards him as he typed in a short response. _"Fine. Show me."_

As soon as Nene read the message, she squealed and brought up the database windows she had been hiding in the background. After a few minutes of checking, the Captain asked Nene to save the data to a disk for him. Once he had the disk in hand, he handed it off to the Weapons officer, pulling him to the side. "Triple check this data, and do it double-time. Got it!"

"Yes sir." The junior officer hurried from the wardroom while the Captain paced across the room.

"Time to see about some more food, I suppose. I swear she just ate, less than an hour ag… what's this?" While mumbling to himself, the Captain opened the door only to have two cooks from the mess hall fall through and into the wardroom. Somehow they managed to hold onto the huge plates of food in their hands, as if they valued the food's safety more than their own. That fact wasn't lost on the Captain either.

An elated squeal filled the room as Nene ran over and grabbed two plates full of shrimp, rice, rolls, vegetables, and Jell-o. "Thank you!" she cried out in her best English. She hopped back into her seat and was about to dive in, when she suddenly remembered something. Nene jumped back up from the chair, hopped back to the two cooks –who in the meantime hadn't twitched a muscle since their eyes fell on the blond-haired beauty- leaned down to both of them, and firmly planted a kiss on both their foreheads. Mission accomplished, she skipped back to the table, scooted her seat in and began shoveling down the food as fast as she could.

The Captain looked incredulously at his two crew-members, still gawking from their positions stuck in the bottom of the doorway. "Can I ask the two of you a question?" he growled.

"… uh huh…" they dreamily responded in tandem, not even bothering to even look up to the skipper.

"You didn't actually get an order for food for our _guest_ here, did you?"

"… no sir…" they answered, still mesmerized by the sight of the woman stabbing three rolls onto a fork and stuffing them into her mouth all at once.

"You just overheard our conversation then, right?"

"… yep…" they replied, awestruck as Nene lifted the plate full of rice above her head and poured it down her throat.

"Just one more question then. Is the three weeks of extra duty you're going to be served when we get in port worth it!"

"Sure, Cap', whatever you say," they agreed, drool dripping out of their mouths.

The Captain slapped his forehead as he turned to walk back to his stateroom. _"What did I ever do to deserve __this?"

* * *

_

The agent released the button on the stun gun as soon as he was sure the woman was out. Her arms dropped to her sides as she crumpled to the ground, confirming his assessment. "Damn, what a mess." He looked over at his unconscious partner on the ground, just outside the elevator. His legs were still inside, keeping the doors open and showing that their subject was still on the gurney. He stood up to go check her condition when a click from behind made him spin around.

Another woman, dressed in a casual shirt and slacks, with short black hair, pointed his own gun directly back at him. "H-Hold it right t-there."

The dark suited man smiled to himself at the sight of the gun shaking in her hands, her eyes flared wide in obvious panic. _Too easy. _He leaped up and charged, using martial arts training to rapidly close the small gap while dodging any attempt to shoot him. The shot never came, and he was on her in a flash, striking down with a chop to knock the gun free… except his hand met her forearm instead. His eyes met hers, and he suddenly found himself staring at a different woman. More confident, reassured, trained… _What the __hell? _He struck out with a flurry of punches, kicks, and chops… all of which were blocked with minimal effort. When a final thrust from his foot was brushed aside, the agent rolled back and gathered himself again, noting that while the woman had the gun, she hadn't bothered to bring it to bear. Something just didn't add up… _What's going on? Damnit, no woman's gonna get the best of me! _

With the pause came another turn in events, as the woman now standing confidently in a defensive posture suddenly blinked twice, stared down into the gun still held in her hand, and began shaking once more.

"… shoot him…" a weak voice behind the man squeaked out. Glancing out of the corner of one eye, he saw the blond woman roll onto her stomach and lift herself up on weak, shaky arms. _Isn't a factor yet… but I've got to hurry… _

A scream from in front snapped his focus back to the black-haired woman… and into an object hurled directly at his head. Reflexes took over as he windmilled a kick knocking the object far across the garage. It wasn't until his eyes returned to the standing woman that he realized what he had done. _Damnit, she threw my own gun at me! _That was the last straw; the agent screamed his frustration aloud and bulled into the other woman, forcing her back towards the elevator.

Patience gone, he threw caution to the wind as he hurled fists, feet, elbows, knees, punches, kicks, and everything he had at the woman. Somehow, even with her back pressed to the wall of the elevator, she blocked every last one of them. "Damnit!"

Even though she continued to block his attacks, they were taking their toll. Her arms and legs weren't used to the rigors of combat anymore, and she was tiring quickly. She still held him at bay, but provided no offense to help her cause. Her face grew despondent, her eyes growing more worried with every blow blocked.

The agent saw this as well, and his own confidence grew. A quick feint followed by two quick jabs succeeded in knocking the woman's arms to her sides.

She looked over and saw a high left hook heading straight for her face, and knew this was the end. She closed her eyes against the strength of the attack and waited… and waited… until the sound of the man's body collapsing on the concrete made her look up. Behind the man stood an unsteady blond-haired woman wielding a syringe. "Jill! Thank God!"

"Y'know, you… could've been… a little… quicker…" Jill started to joke before falling to her knees, obviously in pain.

Katsumi rushed to her side, stepping over the unconscious guard. "Are you okay?"

"Been better," she answered honestly. "C'mon, we've got… to get her out of here. We've already taken too much time," Jill warned, glancing in the direction of the unconscious patient in the elevator.

"Okay."

Katsumi helped Jill up before retrieving the gurney from the elevator. Unstrapping the unconscious figure from the gurney, she looked at the taller heavier woman and stopped. "I need the car." Running as fast as her aching legs would go, she ran to it and swung it around to the elevator. Both Jill and Katsumi lifted the brown-haired woman from the gurney and carefully slid her into the back seat.

Jill stayed in the back while Katsumi hopped into the driver's seat and sped out of the parking garage and into the Chicago city night.

"Kat… reset the garage cameras… and the elevator again…," Jill breathed out, fighting back the lingering effects of her own stun gun being used against her.

"Yeah, just a sec. Okay, should be clean now."

"Thanks, Kat." She breathed more easily as the lingering effects began to fade. "You did pretty well out there… considering you haven't trained for a couple of years."

"Thanks. Guess there's some things you don't forget after all. I'm just glad you stopped him when you did."

"Hopefully we'll have at least ten minutes before anyone finds them. And those agents should have a tough time identifying us, thanks to the drug."

"But what about the one we fought?"

Jill held up another empty syringe for Katsumi to see through the rear view mirror, smiling as she did so.

Kat smiled herself at the recognition of the syringe. It had arrived in a small package just before they had left, prefilled with an orange substance Jill had warned her about. "You always come prepared, don't you?"

"We'd probably be dead right now if I wasn't. And if we don't hurry, we might still be."

"I know," Katsumi whispered as they drove down an eerily quiet side street. "So, which one do you think she is… now that we can actually see her face?"

"I think she's the Yamazaki girl who joined earlier this year."

"Wasn't she the one piloting the… _SHIT!"_

Brakes slammed on as the car skidded to the side, narrowly missing an object that had dropped from the sky directly in front of them. Katsumi slid the BMW to rest just inches away from a lamppost, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

"What the hell's wrong, Kat!" Jill hadn't seen the green object drop onto the pavement. Picking herself up from the bottom of the car with the unconscious woman now lying on top of her was bad enough. "What happened!"

Katsumi couldn't talk, couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Nothing was wrong physically however; it was purely mental. However, that mental aspect was serious enough for the tormented Katsumi. Every nightmare she had endured since that horrific night in Tokyo two years ago now came back in a rush. Her heart pounded, her hands shook, her lips quivered… "… no… no, it c-can't be…"

Jill was still struggling to lift the other unconscious woman off her as she tried to sit upright. "Kat!… Katsumi!… What the hell's…?" She forced herself up and suddenly she could see, and understand… "… boomer…"

Haloed in the artificial streetlight was a humanoid green monstrosity with a faceless orange head.

Jill's mind continued to try and work logically through the problem, even as she realized why Katsumi was so terrified. "Is that… is that one of Sylia's hardsuits?"

The hardsuit stopped and then crouched as if preparing to attack the car. Katsumi wasn't waiting any longer though.

She threw open her door and stumbled out, running from the beast that had nearly killed her two years ago… Sylia's green hardsuit… She knew that Jill was yelling after her but she couldn't hear a word her friend was saying. She could only hear the boomer, the demon from her past, screaming in her head.

Two steps out of the car she tripped, her legs failing her, much as they had inside the hardsuit years ago. Katsumi stumbled again, put her hands under her, had almost regained her feet when a metallic clang in front of her jolted her eyes upwards… and directly into the front of the green hardsuit.

It stretched out one arm and out slid a silver blade, pointed straight at her head.

"… oh god…" The black-haired woman froze, unable to do anything but wait for death.

The arm flashed up, aimed directly for her neck.

"Katsumi!" Jill screamed in vain, unable to do anything herself.

"Wait!"

Hearing the Japanese voice behind her, Jill spun and looked into the pale violet eyes of a startled and conscious woman in a hospital gown. Remembering her friend's dire situation, she snapped back around to find two statues frozen in time… Katsumi kneeled down before the boomer that loomed over her with its arm still raised, poised to attack. A second later, the blade sheathed with a hiss and the hardsuit lowered its arm slowly. It turned and walked towards the other two women, leaving a stunned Katsumi in its wake.

As pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, Jill turned to the brown-haired woman in search of answers. "Who's in that thing?"

"N… nobody," the confused woman answered.

Jill scowled. "Huh? Is that your hardsuit, then? Is it following your orders! Tell me now!" she almost screamed in the best Japanese she could muster.

"I… I… don't know… I'm not sure…"

"What the hell do you mean you're not sure? Is it, or is it not your hardsuit! Aren't you a Knight Saber!"

"A… Knight Saber?"

The questioning look on the woman's face threw everything Jill had assumed so far into question. "You… you don't even know what they are? Then how… the hardsuit? … wait! Who the hell are you!"

"Who… who am I?" the Japanese woman repeated.

"Yes!"

"I… don't… know…"

Jill just stared at her. Meanwhile, the hardsuit stopped beside the car and stood motionless directly in front of the mystery woman.

"_What the hell is going on!"_ Jill growled out in frustration.

* * *

As soon as the two cooks exited the room and left Nene alone once more, she let out a deep sigh. _Now it's time to get back to work. _

With a few keystrokes, a hidden window reappeared on the screen. The window showed a query in progress, a query of satellite data from the few defense networks she could infiltrate with her current equipment. She noted that the query was still working, narrowing down the recorded debris reentries based on first-hand knowledge of her own forced reentry. Once she had isolated the data from her own hardsuit entering the atmosphere, she feverishly worked to find out if any other similar instances had been recorded, instances that would tell her if her teammates had been as fortunate as she had… or if she was the only Knight Saber to survive.

Nene fought back tears as the query continued to run. _They had to make it! I just know it! _But even as she tried to encourage herself, her thoughts went back to the last moments in space, the moments before Linna's hardsuit had attacked her… _No! Mackey told me: it wasn't her fault! Priss, Sylia… they had to win! They had to rescue Linna! _However, as she reviewed the data, she realized no viable possibilities had been found yet. Nene knew that if none turned up in the defense network's records, the alternatives were bleak at best. If the other Sabers had managed to somehow survive the battle, but were hung in orbit, or even worse, blown into space…

Nene shuddered at the thought. However, she wouldn't let herself continue to think that way. Instead, she focused on other things under her control… such as getting to the rendezvous point where Leon and Henderson were going to bring Nigel and Mackey… assuming everything went according to plan on the trip there, which was a very big 'if' considering how bad things must have be in Japan right now.

The girl shook her hair as she refocused. Now that she knew roughly where she was and where she would likely wind up, it was a matter of using the ruse she had established with the cruise line as a means of obtaining transportation to Europe. A few mouse clicks later, her open-ended reservations were set; she just needed a starting place to leave from.

She jumped nearly out of her seat as a loud knock on the door broke her train of thought. She panicked as the door flew open before she could minimize the window, instead slamming the laptop cover closed to hide a couple of windows she had mindlessly opened regarding her other hacking activities.

The officer who had given her the laptop entered the doorway and said something in English she didn't quite understand. He didn't look too happy, which put Nene even further on her guard although she tried to look as innocent as ever. He pointed to the laptop and said something else she didn't understand, although Nene was beginning to get the hint of the message. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, hoping that he would clarify… except that the only means of communication were in windows behind some screens she didn't want him to see.

The officer shook his own head, reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. As he read it, Nene tried to stifle her laughter as he spoke in very broken Japanese.

"Get ready. Leaving soon. Cut computer."

"Hai!" she nodded enthusiastically, ecstatic that she could close the open loops without looking too suspicious. Then, she reached over and turned off the laptop before carefully unplugging the cables spliced into the back of the main board.

On the LCD screen hidden by the folding computer, the windows closed one by one before the OS shut down. The screen at the front thus disappeared, removing the results of the query before they could be displayed to the young woman so desperate to hear news of her teammates. Those removed results included three paths: the one that Nene used to pattern her search in the first place, and two more recorded a few hours later. Both of those entries originated from a point in space directly above Japan, but ended in very different spots on the planet below… despite the fact that they both entered the atmosphere at almost the same exact time

* * *

The two men walked cautiously down the narrow city road, surveying the masses lined up on both sides.

"Have you tried across the street yet?" Leon asked of the blond haired male just now catching up to him.

"No, not yet. I'll try now," Masaki replied with a tired sigh. He lumbered behind some passing bicyclists and under a dim streetlight on the other side. Pausing to find someone who might be 'in the know', he reflected back on the little bit of information they had gathered so far in their mostly fruitless hunt. Seeing news reports of fireballs falling from the sky over northern India, the pair had built that information into a couple of detailed accounts. Those accounts had led them here, to the large city of Ahmadabad. Most of the city was a conservative religious mix of Hindus and Muslims. However, they had found a couple of pockets filled with western influence, and in such places they could relate and communicate. Neither of them spoke any local languages, which put them at a severe disadvantage. But with every nod of a head regarding the 'streaks from the sky', they marched onward to find someone with a little more concrete evidence.

For his part, Leon wasn't as optimistic as Masaki was on the possibilities of finding anything. Maybe it was his years of detective work with the normal police. But then again, the former ADP officer knew himself better than that. Priss' last words to him, at least the last words that meant anything, still wounded him deeply.

"_I've finally realized Linna just means that much more to me."_

He halted his search to gaze at the foreign neon signs, the strange faces illuminated by the scant lighting filtering from the store fronts, their blank stares boring into the foreigner. "What am I doing out here anyway?" he mumbled.

Just then, a wisp of music touched his ears, ringing with a sense of familiarity in the recesses of his mind. The sound seemed to be coming from behind him; he twisted his upper body around to better gauge the direction. Before he realized it, his feet were already carrying him towards that sound and towards a crowd gathering in front of some sort of club. As the distance to the music decreased, he could make out pounding drums coupled with the rip of a guitar. His heart raced as the instruments were joined by the amplified scream of a female voice, singing in a tongue he almost understood.

Leon pushed his way through the crowd and in the door. As soon as he could see inside, his eyes soaked in the radiating multicolored display on stage. A rock band hammered out chords of a quick beat, twirling the westernized crowd into a frenzy. At the center of the stage pranced a young woman decked in black leathers, her matching black hair spiked on one side, and adorned with jewelry.

His heart slowed a couple of revs as he realized it wasn't the person he was looking for, but still, for just a moment… his eyes glazed over and while the lights pulsed, shifting the hues of the singer on stage, she was replaced just for an instant. In that instant, another woman stood over the thrashing crowd, this one dressed in red leathers, her long brown hair flowing over her shoulders. She gripped the stand with one hand while caressing the microphone with the other. Her face turned towards him, her deep brown eyes gazing longingly into his own. She raised one hand to the heavens, then stretched it out to him and only him, singling Leon out among the masses, professing her undying love for him over and over…

But just as soon as she was there, she was gone. From the overhead rig, blue beams of energy swung out across the stage, transforming Leon's fantasy back to reality. The image of Priss reverted back to the foreign singer as she continued to dance away on stage, pumping her fist blindly towards the raving fans at her feet.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Leon's eyes refocused across the club to the relatively empty bar. He shuffled his way to the bar and set down a couple of bills of foreign currency. A few moments later, he turned back around to the stage, tilting his head back to guzzle down the unknown alcoholic mixture he had blindly called for. His attention fell back on the singer as he waited for the buzz to work its magic, and to see if the singer wouldn't change back into his fantasy once again…

* * *

With the car safely pulled into a side alley, Katsumi sat in the back seat. Her body still shaking but her mind was beginning to function somewhat normally again. "I-I just don't understand h-how that thing can move on its own. But, y-you think she's got amnesia?"

Jill crouched beside the car's open door, aware of the hardsuit standing behind her. "Yeah, but there's only one way to know for sure at this point and only one place to get the answers. But first, we've got to figure out someway to hide that hardsuit."

"But, it's… isn't it protecting her?" Katsumi asked, glancing back at the woman still wearing the hospital gown.

"Well, it did respond to her commands before, so… Ah, what the hell. Can't hurt to try, I suppose." Jill turned around to face the brown-haired woman, who was staring off into space. "Can you tell the hardsuit to follow us but to stay out of sight?"

"What?" The woman looked down at Jill, trying to refocus her attention. "Oh… I can try. Hardsuit…"

The orange visor flashed at her as her metal guardian stood ready.

"… please follow us but try not to be seen."

Two more flashes followed.

"So… did it work?" Katsumi asked, still unsure of this green boomer-like hardsuit.

She didn't have to wait long for her answer. With a flicker, the hardsuit simply vanished into thin air.

"W-what?"

"Oh my… it's got Sylia's stealth tech built in too? Wow…" Jill said, stunned.

"Stealth?" Katsumi asked, confused.

"Yeah, it was something she and Nigel were working on before… well, while we were still there."

"Oh. So, what do we do now?"

"Now? Now we go get some answers. Now we go to the one place Sylia and Nigel would probably go, since Tokyo's wasted."

"Wait. Are you talking about…?"

"We're going to Europe, Kat, and hopefully when we get there we'll find out if this really is Linna Yamazaki."

* * *

"Bye bye!" Nene waved from the small boat as it sped towards the small island country just a few kilometers away.

"Sayonara Miss Nene!" the crew of the sub called out in unison; the topside of the sub was overflowing with the crew wishing her a happy sendoff.

Meanwhile the Captain just shook his head at the sight of his crew reduced to mere putty at the hands of one woman. "I'm glad that's over with now," he grumbled, annoyed.

"I dunno, sir. I think I'm gonna miss her."

The Captain raised an eyebrow, turning his head slightly towards the Navigator standing beside him in the conning tower. "Son, in time you'll learn… women are nothing but trouble."

The Nav smirked back at his superior. "Well, I know they're trouble for you at least."

"And in a few years, when you're the commander over of a few of them, you'll know exactly what I mean."

The other officer thought about that for a second as the smirk slowly faded from his face.

Meanwhile, Nene had already put the crew of the sub behind her. While she was thankful for the rescue, she had other priorities. As soon as she could, she'd get some ID and get off the island she was now approaching. Afterwards, she would contact Leon or Henderson and hopefully hear some good news for a change, some news about her missing teammates…

* * *

Sylia woke with a pounding migraine and a sense of wonder. She was amazed that the afterlife seemed so…well… lifelike. She was lying on a bed in a plain white room with a single white door and no windows. Her lips felt badly worn, mouth dry, throat sore… and that was the best part. The rest of her body felt like she had just been through a car wreck, aching from the tip of her toes to the top of her head. Glancing over to the side as far as her stiff neck would allow, her eyes focused on medical instruments beeping next to her, throwing her original heavenly evaluation into doubt. Her movements seemed to register on the medical panel, which was shortly followed by the door opening. An oriental woman dressed in a white lab-coat entered the room, gave her a glance, and immediately exited, closing the door as she left.

After a couple of minutes, a very familiar person entered the room, startling Sylia with his presence. "…windmaster… what are… you… you didn't make it too? You're dead?"

The old man laughed at the young woman's all-too-understandable assessment as he walked to the end of the bed and stood facing her. "No, I am not dead. And neither are you, young lady."

"I'm not… but then… where am I?"

"The only thing you need to know is that you are in China right now?"

"China?"

"Yes. As remarkable as it sounds, you survived your little excursion into space."

The news stunned Sylia into silence.

The Windmaster noted as he continued his explanation. "You see, I was able to use up a few favors with the Chinese government to divert a shuttle to explore the debris field left from the Showhamm disaster. It actually took little convincing on my part, but I needed to brief the crew personally about your safety. I wasn't sure if they would find anyone alive or not, but I was overjoyed when I received news that they managed to rescue you from space."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"Say nothing for now, for I wish I only had good news to tell you…"

"Only good news… the others?"

"I'm afraid there was no definite sign of the others in space. Also, because of your situation, the shuttle was forced to land sooner than I had hoped."

Sylia's already pale face turned even whiter as the consequences of his words struck her hard. "So I'm the only one…"

"That appears to be the case. The memories of their sacrifices, although not widely known, will not be forgotten."

Sylia nodded gently, even as the despair weighed heavily on her heart.

"I'm afraid that isn't all the bad news I have for you either…"

"What?" Sylia asked weakly, wondering how the news could get much worse before a sudden dreaded thought crossed her mind. "Wait? Galatea? She… did she… survive?"

"No, not as far as the shuttle was able to determine. Your hardsuit was the largest object left intact in space after the implosion."

"Implosion?"

"Yes. A couple of spy satellites caught the space platform folding in on itself; the few remaining pieces apparently burned up in the atmosphere."

"But that is good news, isn't it?"

"It is, but the news I have involves the reason for the formation of your organization. I understand it was born from your desire to fight the misuse of your father's technology. However, Genom wasn't the only company to study your father's work, correct?"

"Well, I had heard of a few others trying to duplicate it."

"Yes, and as you probably know, those companies had little success. However, certain governments who hoped to utilize their findings for their own causes had carefully monitored their research. China happens to be one of those countries."

Sylia gasped at the possible implications.

"When I originally asked for the favor, I was told the search for life would come at an additional price. After the shuttle announced their findings, I was told of that exact price…"

Sylia held her breath even as the scenarios played out in her mind. "What is it?"

"They wanted your hardsuit as a template, a model to jumpstart their research."

"NO! They can't!"

"Child, I understand what you have fought for and why…"

"You don't understand! It… it will just start all over again!"

"And if that is the case, it will happen anyway!" the old man shouted back at her, silencing Sylia's weakening protest. "The Chinese are much farther along than you realize. What they will likely learn from your hardsuit will only accelerate the inevitable. Trying to fight this now will only succeed in throwing away your life as well as the sacrifices of those who died in space!"

"Don't you dare bring them into this!"

"If it is the only way to communicate some common sense to you, then that's exactly what I will do!" the Windmaster scolded harshly.

Sylia pouted with her eyebrows burrowed deep in her forehead. "I can't just _give _them the hardsuit."

"Sylia, you can't stop them. They already have it."

"Then I'll find it and destroy it!"

"And you will most certainly die trying to do just that. In fact, that's what the Chinese government expects you to try, since they now know of your other 'efforts' in Japan now. As part of the bargain, I had to tell them of the existence of the Knight Sabers. They didn't seem too surprised by the news either."

Sylia's eyes widened in shock at the additional implications of the statement.

"You only have one choice," the Windmaster warned evenly. "You must leave the hardsuit behind, go back to your home, and don't ever look back. That is the only choice in which the Chinese government is willing to let you go alive. I implore you to consider it."

Sylia's eyes shifted to the side, spinning with memories of her former friends and teammates as she stared into the blank wall, its featureless surface mirroring the emptiness filling her own heart. _Will this nightmare ever end? _

_To be continued…_


	13. Ch 12: Scars

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 12 – "Scars"

* * *

With the nation's focus on catching problems coming in from Japan and elsewhere, it was considerably easier to get out of the US for Jill, Katsumi, and their mysterious companion than expected.

Since her disappearance from the hospital, the US agents had little information in the search for the unknown woman. Nor did the agents know who had aided in her escape, or what their plans might have been. At least, Jill hoped this was the case.

The music pounding her eardrums knocked her train of thought out of kilter again. She glanced at her wrist, noting the time on her PA and realized she had subconsciously turned the music up during the last song. She tapped the side of her PA to lower the volume again and stole a glance at the seat in front of her.

Katsumi sat next to the woman they suspected was Linna Yamazaki, even if they didn't have definitive proof just yet. That would come soon though –a personal verification of sorts- once they arrived at their destination. This bus traveling through the mountains of Switzerland would eventually drop them off in a small town. There, Jill could use money stashed away from her previous life with the Knight Sabers to rent a car. The car would take them the rest of the way to the childhood home of Sylia Stingray, a home that was now active again according to her research. Jill knew there was only one reason for the recent deliveries made to that home: only if the previous owners were living there once more.

But as Jill analyzed the purposes of the trip, she tried to keep the simmering emotions of the past in check. The heartache that had overwhelmed her in the hospital after that last, fateful boomer attack still lay deep inside her. The rational side of Jill's mind knew that dwelling on these feelings now served no purpose, but still… she wasn't sure she would be able to hold back if she saw the one person who had given her much, yet had taken so much more away from her.

Mindlessly flexing her right hand, Jill sank back into her seat as she reached over to her left wrist, tapping the side of the PA to crank the music even louder than before.

* * *

The sound of a car accelerating away warned Henderson that something was amiss. Before he reached the front door, the bell rang. Upon arriving at the door, practiced mannerisms took over as he stood back while turning the doorknob. The door opened to reveal a deeply tanned young woman with an exhausted smile on her face. "Mistress Nene! Please, come in."

"Thanks, Henderson," she replied, even as her thoughts turned to someone else. "Where's Mackey?"

"He's resting in a room in the back. Would you like to see him now?"

"Yes, please," she answered with a hint of desperation. "I would have arrived here sooner after I called you but it took a while longer to make my passports and paperwork than I expected. Have you heard anything about the others…?" Nene's voice trailed off as she walked into the room behind Henderson… the room that Mackey's body now rested in.

The lights were dim, the delicately decorated bedroom mostly illuminated by the medical display sitting atop a nightstand.

From her memories, the young girl heard his voice once more. The most recent memories were the most painful ones. Floating in space, waiting to die… and then his voice, calling to her, telling her not to quit, to live on, to live for them both…

"Here, Mistress Nene." Henderson offered a tissue to her.

"…huh? …" Nene blindly stared at it until she realized why everything looked so strange, as if she was looking at the whole room through a waterfall. She took the tissue and bowed. "T-Thanks."

"I'll leave you alone now, if you prefer. I was just making some lunch; are sandwiches satisfactory for you?"

"Yes… Henderson, thank you. Oh, before you go, have you heard anything from the others?"

"Nothing yet, I'm afraid. Masters Leon and Masaki are out looking for them now."

"Masaki?"

"An acquaintance of Mistress Linna from her hometown."

"Oh."

The elderly butler closed the door while Nene's thoughts turned back to the still figure lying under the covers of the freshly made bed. Nene pulled up an antique wooden chair from the small desk by the wall and sat next to him. "Mackey…" She held onto his lone remaining hand, below the medical equipment wrapped around his upper arm, and laid her head onto his blanketed chest. "… Mackey, you've got to wake up… you've just got to… you can't be gone…" Quietly, she began to weep into the bed sheets.

* * *

The next morning, Henderson was making breakfast when another knock on the door caught his attention. "I wonder who that could be?"

As he walked past the guest room, the door opened. A pajama-clad Nene peeked out and yawned a question to him. "Who's that?"

"I'm not certain yet," he answered, turning into the foyer and towards the front door. When he reached it, he opened it in the same practiced manner as usual, stepping off to the side and opening the door fully.

"Yes? Oh! Mistress…" Henderson started to speak before being cut off by a loud scream.

"SYLIAAA!" Nene finished, running at full speed through the doorway and crashing into the plainly dressed woman on the other side, knocking them both to the ground. Even on the floor of the wooden porch, Nene held her hug.

Sylia finally returned the hug as she smiled at her youngest Saber. "I was afraid you were dead."

"So was I," Nene replied, tears flowing down her face for the second time in two days. "Why didn't you try and call!"

"It's a long story," she explained, her eyes darting to the side as she spoke. "Nene?"

"Yes?"

"Can I get up now?"

"Oh! Sylia… I- I'm sorry!"

Once they untangled and stood up, Sylia straightened out her borrowed clothes and started to walk in the house. As she did, she glanced back over her shoulder at the pajama-clad Nene and smiled. "Nene, you surprise me. I never knew you felt that way about me."

"Huh? What way… wait! I didn't… but… SYLIA!" Nene ran in after the giggling Sylia; Henderson just shook his head as he closed the door.

After a short visit to check on the comatose bodies of Nigel and Mackey, during which Sylia made a promise to come back to Nigel sooner rather than later, they all met in the living room. Henderson passed out fresh tea and cocoa to the ladies, and Nene was first to start. "Sylia?"

"Yes," the tired woman answered, setting her cup of tea down on the coffee table in front of her.

"What happened? I mean… after that explosion knocked me into space?"

"So that's what blew up?" Sylia spoke, her own questions coming to the forefront.

"Yeah, I was…" she paused, recalling her near death experience with her own teammate. "… controlling the lens when… Linna's… hardsuit, I think… flew in and tried to kill me. I dodged out of the way but… I couldn't control the cannon anymore. It exploded… I think… I don't remember much… except waking up in space… floating towards the atmosphere. Then I heard… Mackey…"

"Mackey?" Sylia sat up straight in her seat at the mention of his name.

"Yeah, he was… with me… He gave my hardsuit some power somehow and told me…" Her eyes misted over as the memories came back to her. "… He told me that it wasn't Linna's fault… and that I needed to live… for both of us…"

As she heard about her brother's heroic efforts, Sylia let her tears flow down her face. She bowed her head in shame as she replied to Nene's story. "He was so brave…" she murmured

"He _is _brave!" Nene answered emphatically. "I won't give up on him! He didn't give up on me!"

"Yes, of course," Sylia spoke apologetically. "I shouldn't have given up on you either…"

"Huh?"

"That explosion… I heard it and… I **wanted** to help you… I **wanted** to find out, really," Sylia pleaded. "But, Galatea… she was there… and… I… I left you in space… I left you to die so I could go after Galatea… and that was wrong," she admitted, begging for forgiveness.

"No it wasn't, Sylia! It was the right thing to do. You had to stop…"

"No! It **wasn't** the right thing to do! I- I wasn't thinking straight. Galatea just used my anger, my hatred. She tricked me and…" Sylia's thoughts drifted away; her body began to shiver, shaking almost violently at the recalled nightmare of Galatea forcing her to relive the death of every boomer the Knight Sabers had destroyed. Suddenly a warm embrace lifted Sylia form her torturous memories. She blinked and found Nene now sitting next to her on the couch, trying to lend comfort. She gripped Nene's hand, the tremors subsiding into a shallow state of calmness. Sylia had to smile at the role reversal as the youngest of the Sabers now acted as the strongest. "Thank you, Nene."

The blond girl nodded as she relaxed her hold, but leaving one hand on her back reassuringly. "What happened next?"

"I was… trapped by Galatea… but Linna came and rescued me…" Sylia stared thoughtfully at the floor, her face turned downwards.

"What?" Nene asked, puzzled.

"Her hardsuit… I just realized it was… different…"

"So he was right," Nene whispered softly.

"What?" Sylia asked, now confused herself.

"Oh nothing… it was just something that Mackey told me in space."

"Oh, that's right. Sorry, I forgot. My mind's not working at full capacity right now."

"That's okay, Sylia. So, what happened after Linna rescued you?"

"She said we had to go find Priss. That… Galatea was using her and we had to stop her."

Concern flooded Nene's face. "Using her?"

Sylia glanced over at Nene and nodded as she continued. "I followed Linna. Somehow… she knew where she was going… and there was this lab. It… sort of reminded me of the Wizlab…"

"The Wizlab?"

"Yes, but I didn't know why until I asked Linna. Then she told me…told me…" Sylia's eyes filled with fresh tears at the horrible recollection of what she had discovered.

"What? What happened to Priss!" Nene asked frantically, now seriously concerned for the fate of her missing teammates.

"Just like my father… Galatea… she was using Priss to create another of her kind… another sotai."

"Oh my God! B-But why? Priss? God! Why… why would she…"

"I don't know!" Sylia screamed, not at Nene per se, but she still shocked the young woman. Sylia recognized and immediately regretted it. "Nene… Nene, I'm sorry. It… it's just…"

"It's okay," she murmured weakly. "Just… so… what happened next?"

"Parts of the lab came alive and attacked us. Linna's hardsuit… I don't know how… but looking back on it now, it was stronger, much stronger than my design. She took on everything at once, fighting like someone possessed."

"Like someone possessed with love," Nene whispered knowingly.

Sylia paused for a second, nodding her understanding to Nene before she continued. "She told me to find Priss' hardsuit while she tried to free her body. Luckily it wasn't too far away and I found it with the internal tracers. I thought Galatea might have used it to attack us. But she didn't, as if she was saving it. When I brought the hardsuit back to the lab, I found Linna holding Priss…"

"She freed her!" Nene's voice filled with excitement at the news.

"Yes. But the room came alive just as we got Priss into the hardsuit…"

"But… I thought the liquid hardsuits had to be prepped a certain way or else you couldn't do that, unless…"

"I know, and that's what still bothers me."

Nene nodded her own concern as Sylia continued.

"As soon as Priss had her hardsuit on though, the floor… It… just melted, the gravity dispersed… and then the orbs…"

"The battery cells from the power station?"

"Yes, I think so. The same ones that Priss fought earlier, three of those attacked me. And… I was going to fight back when they combined right in front of me. I think… I think they exploded like some kind of bomb. That's the last thing I remember…"

"But… Priss? Linna?"

"I don't know what happened after that. I woke up floating in space. I thought I was dead."

"Just like me," Nene whispered.

"Except I was all alone. After a short time, my power started to fail and I passed out thinking that I would just burn up in the atmosphere… but…"

"The hardsuit saved you?" Nene guessed based on her experiences.

"No, the Chinese government."

"What? Why?"

"They wanted the hardsuit technology."

"But you're here. So that means you didn't give it to them, right?" Nene assumed, relying on what she knew about her leader. However, the guilt written deeply into Sylia's face told a decidedly different story. "Sylia, you didn't…"

"I-I wasn't given a choice. They already had it by the time I woke up. The only reason I was spared was because of a friend of my father's."

"A friend?"

"It-It's not important now. It's in the past… and, apparently, so is Galatea."

"Wait! So… Priss and Linna did it? They stopped her?"

"I think so. This friend told me that I was the only thing larger than a half-meter still left intact in space. Galatea is no more."

"But… what about… Priss? Linna?"

"I'm afraid…"

The sound of a car's engine revving down became apparent even inside the house. The two women perked up as Henderson headed for the door. "Henderson, do you know who that might be?"

"I'm expecting some supplies I ordered to be arriving shortly, m'lady."

"That doesn't sound like a truck," Nene commented curiously.

The doorbell rang, drawing Sylia into the foyer as Henderson's voice filled the space with a joyful tone. "This is certainly a most welcome surprise."

"Priss? Linna?" Sylia asked assumingly as she rounded the corner… and stopped dead in her tracks. Two ghosts from the past stood together at the mouth of the doorway, walking into the house as Henderson held the door open for them. Any doubts about their identities quickly dissolved as the voice of the short blond resonated against her repressed nightmares.

"Thank you, Henderson. It's been a long time… Sylia…"

Their eyes met in one fateful instant. One woman's face full of shocked disbelief, the other's immediately brimming with malice, anger, revenge…

"… Jill… Katsumi…" Sylia's voice cracked badly.

The sound of her voice triggered Jill into action. She stormed to Sylia in three heavy steps, stopped directly in front of her, swiveled her torso to the left, and in a flash lashed out viciously with the back of her right hand.

CRACK!

The blow to her cheek nearly floored the taller woman, knocking her off-balance. Sylia braced herself for more, and was quick to receive it but not in the manner she expected…

"Why? Why couldn't you trust us with the truth Sylia! You trusted us with your hardsuits, damnit! Wasn't that enough?"

Sylia couldn't bear to look into her face, the rage flying from Jill's words stabbing her deeper and deeper with each inflection. She flinched at the motion in her peripheral vision, fully expecting to be struck again. Instead, two shaking arms circled around her body as Jill snatched her into a hug.

"What more did you need from us Sylia! What could we have done!" Jill's voice now cracked in desperation as she pulled Sylia's bruised cheek down towards her own teary face.

Sylia looked into Jill's eyes and saw the same pleading, begging eyes that had haunted her nightmares for the last two years. Those blue eyes staring up at her as she lay in a growing pool of blood, Jill's own blood… Sylia had carried their bodies to the hospital and left them there, never daring to look back at her failure.

But here they were, despite her best efforts to keep away from them. She couldn't get away, couldn't wake up from this nightmare. But searching deeply within her torn soul, she found the path to healing holding on to her tightly… and she didn't want to run away anymore. Sylia brought her hand up and gently caressed the side of Jill's face as she spoke to her.

"You couldn't have done anything. It… it wasn't your fault. None of it was. It was me. I shouldn't have put you in those suits."

"But why didn't you tell us what you really wanted? Why you needed the Knight Sabers?"

"Because I didn't know exactly why then. I didn't learn that until much later. And, even now, I don't know if I did the right thing or not."

Another pair of arms wrapped around both women simultaneously as Katsumi's choking voice joined in. "How can you say that, Sylia? You stopped that monster your father created! Of course you did the right thing!"

Sylia shifted her arms to hold both of the original Sabers in her embrace. "Thank you… Jill, Katsumi… it's been too long…"

Henderson stood in place simply soaking in the long overdue reunion. Nene, on the other hand, stood frozen in the living room. Her mouth hung open in disbelief at the sight, a door into Sylia's past now thrown open before her. She cautiously approached the overly emotional greeting, her words coming out awkwardly. "Uhh… um, hi there. I'm Nene."

Sylia lifted her head from the shoulders of the other two women. "Oh Nene… sorry… this is…"

Nene wasn't listening any longer though. She looked past the three women and her eyes doubled in size. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she leapt around them and towards the still open doorway. "LINNA!"

Sylia looked around in surprise to catch sight of their missing Green Knight simply standing on the porch with a very confused look on her face. But something about that state of confusion didn't quite seem right to Sylia.

Before Nene could greet Linna with the same flying tackle she had greeted Sylia with that morning, she stopped dead in midair, let out a loud "OOMPH!" and then slid to the ground as if she had hit an invisible wall.

The other two women turned around in time to watch the spectacle. Jill answered the unspoken question. "I guess I should have told you about the hardsuit."

"The hardsuit?" Sylia asked.

Just then a green hardsuit materialized from thin air, guarding the path to Linna.

"So what made you start building them to act on their own, Sylia?" Jill asked calmly.

"I didn't," she answered, shocked.

Jill and Katsumi stared back at Sylia. "What do you mean you didn't?" Jill asked first.

Katsumi followed with her own question. "If you didn't, then who did?"

No one could immediately answer that question, though suspicions were beginning to grow in Sylia's mind. "Linna. She was captured by Galatea before. I wonder if she had something to do with this? But, why… why would it protect Linna like that?"

"So that answers one question," Jill spoke. "That is Linna Yamazaki, right?"

"Huh?" Nene asked groggily, shaking her head as she rolled over.

"Yeah, we weren't sure who she was since…" Katsumi started to reply before stopping, unsure how to tell Linna's formerly ecstatic friend the truth.

"Since what?" Sylia demanded.

"Since she couldn't even tell us who she is, Sylia," Jill finished. "We think she has amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Nene repeated weakly as she continued to shake her head, trying to clear out the cobwebs. She looked in Linna's direction and finally saw the hardsuit. "Yaaaah!" She scampered backwards on all fours, escaping the boomer that had terrorized her nightmares for the last few days… the boomer that had nearly killed her in space. That boomer stepped to the side, apparently devaluating the threat to its charge.

All four women and Henderson could clearly see the confused and shaken Linna standing on the porch, dressed in a simple blue blouse and khaki slacks, both borrowed from Katsumi. Sylia took a step towards her and held out an inviting hand. "Linna? Linna, can you remember Nene and me? I'm Sylia Stingray."

The brown-haired woman continued to stare blankly at her. The pale violet eyes of her former teammate and friend were now the empty eyes of a stranger. "I… I don't know…" Linna stammered, wincing as she rubbed the back of her neck with one hand.

"C'mon, Linna! You're just joking, right?" Nene begged, standing up in front of Sylia.

Linna took a step backwards, still massaging the back of her neck. "I just… can't."

"Linna, this isn't funny anymore!" Nene took a step towards the door despite the hardsuit's looming presence. Sylia stopped her from taking another with a firm hand placed on the smaller woman's shoulder. Jill and Katsumi stood back, unsure of what to do.

"… Can't remember…" Linna's voice was strained, as she moved both hands to the back of her head in obvious discomfort.

"Nene, you're making it worse for her!" Sylia scolded.

"But Sylia!" She started to complain before a piercing scream from Linna silenced her.

The brown-haired woman clamped both hands to the sides of her head, staggering back towards the porch steps, then tripped down the first one and fell headfirst towards the ground and out of sight.

"LINNA!" Nene started to run after her fallen friend when the hardsuit stepped up to block her path.

But as Nene pulled up short of the porch, Jill sprinted past both of them. The hardsuit recognized Jill as a friend, allowing her to pass and then gliding down to its fallen charge. They reached Linna at the same time; she lay curled into a fetal position with both hands gripping the back of her neck.

"Linna? Linna, can you hear me?" Jill asked, putting one hand on her shoulder. She didn't get an answer. Linna lay twitching, her lips quivering, her breathing rapid and shallow. Jill's heart sank as it dawned on her what Linna's hands held.

She didn't have to wait long for proof as the hardsuit lowered a hand to Linna's neck, using a neon green beam to scan the affected area. A hologram projected itself from the hardsuit's visor into the air above Linna, giving Jill a 3D view of the problem.

"Oh my God."

"What is it!" Sylia screamed, running outside to help. Once she saw the image, her jaw dropped as her feet froze to the porch. "That… that's…"

Nene was now standing behind her, staring in disbelief. "What? Sylia, what is it?"

"Linna, but she said… Priss… Priss was the one…"

"Priss?" Nene asked, confused. She looked at Sylia, then turned back to Linna's scan, her mental wheels cranking furiously. Suddenly, she made the connection as a quiet gasp escaped her dry lips. "… oh god…"

"What!" Jill demanded.

"Galatea… Galatea must have… when she kidnapped her…"

Jill's frustration began to boil over as she flashed her eyes between the two incoherent women to the other lying motionless on the ground. "What the hell are you two babbling about!"

Something clicked in Sylia's head as her eyes doubled in size. She spun around and ran into the house.

"I hope she's calling a hospital…" Jill remarked, mentally processing the possible outcomes, factoring in their escape from the Chicago hospital. "Hey! Hardsuit!" she suddenly yelled out. "Can you display her vital statistics? Blood pressure, heart rate?"

With a single pulse of the orange visor, a separate table of information displayed in the air next to the live scan.

Despite her lack of medical training, Jill could tell the readings weren't good. She looked up and shook her head at Katsumi, who stood behind Nene watching the scene. Her fiery blue eyes turned towards the shorter blond in front. "So, in plain Japanese, what the hell is that thing on her neck?" Jill demanded.

Nene blinked twice, snapping herself out of her shocked trance. "I… I think it's another sotai."

"A so-what?"

"Another sotai… in other words, another Galatea."

"What?"

A shout from Katsumi drew everyone's attention towards the open front door. "Sylia, what are you doing!"

A shaking Sylia staggered onto the porch wielding a shotgun, which for the moment was pointed towards the sky.

Katsumi stepped back as Sylia stopped at the top of the steps. Time slowed as Sylia lowered the barrel toward the prone woman lying on the ground a few meters away.

Jill had seen that look in Sylia's eyes before and instinctively knew her intentions. She sprang to her feet and raced up the steps, reaching Sylia and the gun as it leveled down towards Linna, towards the demonic seed planted in her body.

A loud crack precipitated a mammoth wave of pain in Jill's right arm. She screamed, her head jarring backwards involuntarily. As her watering eyes opened again, she made out a peculiar sight: the gun pointed up with her hand holding the barrel in check. But the pain came from lower down her arm. Her eyes traced the pain and stopped at a steel spike thrust through her upper arm, above her bent elbow, and clean through her forearm. The point of that spike ended millimeters away from the side of Sylia's face.

Sylia's eyes focused squarely on the point of what should have been her end. Shakily, she looked along the spike, past Jill's quivering arm now pinned in place, and directly at her assailant: the green hardsuit defending Linna, this time with lethal force.

Katsumi ran to her friend's side. "Jill!"

"D… damn… hurts…" she spat out through clenched teeth.

Meanwhile, another pair of hands reached from behind Sylia, grabbed the shotgun and ripped it free from the two struggling women. "Sylia, what the HELL are you thinking?" Nene screamed as she threw the shotgun off the side of the porch.

"She's thinking… with her heart… not her head," Jill answered weakly for her. "But… she doesn't need to… shoot Linna… to kill her…"

Nene and Sylia stared at the injured woman as she fell to one knee, Katsumi doing her best to support her friend.

"We rescued her from a hospital… in the US… The agency… wanted to recover that thing from her… and… they were willing to kill her to do it…"

Sylia let out a telling gasp as Nene listened in horror.

"… they said… removing it… she might not live through that…" Holding her bleeding arm, Jill glanced over at Linna now lying still on the ground. "… but it looks like she won't live… with it in either…"

"Jill…" Katsumi said, speaking in a strangely calm voice. "… just turn it off."

The blond smiled at her with a knowing look. "It'll be easier to pull out with it still active. Can you…" she started, before Katsumi nodded to her and shifted around to her back.

The Japanese woman winced, holding back her revulsion at the gory sight, as she grasped the end of the spike with both hands. She turned her head to the side, bracing her knees into Jill's back. "Now."

Jill bit her lip while bending her arm against the foreign object. A sharp scream echoed across the Swiss countryside, scaring a flock of birds from the nearby trees. Jill let out a hard grunt then a sigh of relief as her right arm dropped lifelessly to her side. "Whew, that's better," she breathed out, then glared at Sylia accusingly.

Katsumi dropped the spike to the ground, letting it roll to the feet of the hardsuit, which had turned its attention from the non-threatening humans back to the fallen Linna.

It only took an instant for all the pieces to click into place for Sylia. "Your arm! But, I thought… the medical reports said they saved it!"

As Katsumi helped her to her feet, Jill looked down at the ground, momentarily sinking in the despair of the past. "Yeah, they saved it. But it was all but useless. The nerves in my hand were dead, tendons needed to be replaced… I had more screws in there than I do now," she added with a glance at her dead arm. "A few months after the incident, I was given a choice: either several operations and years of therapy to regain a fraction of what I once had… or a clean slate." Her eyes, still brimming with anger, bored into Sylia once more. "I chose the clean slate, and it looks like that slate just saved your worthless life!"

"Jill!" Katsumi warned, before a fiery glare from the blond stopped her protest.

"Look at her, Kat! She still hasn't learned! Even now she's throwing away friends like they mean nothing to her at all!"

"That's not true!" Sylia bit back, tears now leaking from her shocked eyes.

"You're wrong, Sylia. It's as true now as it was two years ago, and I was a fool to think you'd be any different now. C'mon Kat, let's see…" Jill turned to help Linna, in time to see the hardsuit lift her into its arms.

Without warning, the hardsuit split itself in half, lifted Linna upright and carefully inserted the unconscious human into itself. It turned away from the house and crouched in a position to launch itself into the air.

"Wait! Where are you going with Linna?" Nene yelled.

The hardsuit responded by turning its visor to the side and projecting a holographic map in midair. In the center of the map was a circle labeled with the name 'Krankenhaus'. The map showed for a couple of seconds before it dissipated as the hardsuit righted its helmet. With an explosive blast from its jump jets, the hardsuit rocketed off into the distance.

"Krankenhaus?" Nene asked, bewildered and obviously concerned for Linna.

"That's German for 'hospital'," Jill clarified for the other blond.

"Probably where you should go, don't you think?" Katsumi suggested, gently tugging her injured friend towards the car. "I think I can pull up a replica of that map in the rental."

"But… what about Linna?" Nene said in disbelief.

"I probably shouldn't care anymore. Besides, she wasn't my teammate. But I feel more obliged to Linna than I do her _leader_," Jill seethed, letting the ice-cold words spill bitterly from her lips. "We can try and check up on her at the hospital, assuming they don't try and blow up that hardsuit first." Jill turned her head towards Nene. "You're welcome to join us if you wish."

Nene stole a nervous glance at Sylia, trying to decide where her loyalties lay at the moment. For her part, Sylia just stood motionless, watching events spiral out of control around her. After a few seconds, Nene shook her head and ran past Sylia towards Jill and Katsumi's car. "C'mon then! We can't just leave her alone!"

"Mistress Jill! Please wait!" Henderson called from the porch.

Katsumi and Jill paused and turned towards the house as Henderson stopped at the top of the steps beside Sylia. "A friend of mine lives in this area. He is a very good doctor and has a history with cybernetics. I was going to ask him to help with Master Mackey but he should be able to help you, if I can get in touch with him."

"Who is it, Henderson?" Katsumi queried.

"It's actually an old friend of Mistress Sylia's father, a Dr. Boynton," he replied. "I'll call and ask him to meet you at the hospital right away… except I don't know which one to send him to yet."

"I'll call you as soon as I find out the name," Nene answered. "You have a phone in the car, right?" Nene asked Katsumi and Jill.

"Yes, we do," the black-haired woman answered firmly.

Moments later, all three women were in the car, driving down the long path to the city while Henderson briskly walked into the house to get the phone, closing the door and leaving Sylia alone outside.

Sylia stood on the porch, frozen in shock, not only at the situation, but at her response and the damning effects on the people closest to her. Finally, her blank stare shifted to the side, towards the leafless tree that still stood at the side of the house. _It never changes. It never gets any better. No matter what I do, I can't escape you, can I, Father? I just can't stop this madness you've started. _

Weathered images of past horrors played out in the scenery around her; Sylia stood alone in the center of a mental vortex of destruction. Her mother's death; her father's death; the Kanto quake; Jill and Katsumi; Mackey and Nigel; Galatea; the Chinese Government; now Priss and Linna… _Where will it end? How can I stop it! "JUST MAKE IT STOP!"_ she screamed into the eternity of the skies above, clutching her head as she crumpled to the floor of the porch, sobbing uncontrollably.

Inside, Henderson had managed to find the phone number and was in the process of calling. However, his outgoing call blocked an incoming one. On the other end of that call, Masaki stood at an outdoor pay-phone in India, one eye on the vid-phone, the other on the drunken Leon sitting against the wall of the club he had just pried him from.

"Busy? Damn, did I get the right number?" The annoyed man spoke only to himself, since his companion was of little use in his current incoherent condition. Since finding this small strip of Westernized clubs, Leon had become a liability, spending all of his time and money trying to drown his past sorrows instead of finding answers about them as Masaki had intended.

"Prrissss… Mann, di… did ya seeeeee her si… sing? She was grreeat," Leon slurred, drool running down his jacket.

"Idiot." Masaki gave him a disapproving glance while checking the number written in his wallet. After verifying the number, Masaki punched it in again, this time hearing it ring. One ring later, the signal picked up, the screen showing 'audio only' since the phones in the old Stingray house were antiques.

"Yes?" The elderly voice that Masaki expected to hear spoke.

"Henderson? How are things?" Masaki asked unassumingly.

"Well, we've had a very strange day. But three of the ladies have come back!"

"Three! That's great news, Henderson!"

"Not that good, I'm afraid," the butler sighed regretfully, before going off on the long dissertation through the day's events.

A few minutes later, Masaki hung up the phone with an anxious hop in his step. "Leon, get up," he ordered, grabbing the big man by the jacket and hauling him upright leaning him against the wall.

"Huh? Wha'?"

"They've found Linna."

"Yeah? S… so? I d'n car about that b… bitch."

Masaki had to restrain himself from pummeling the ex-ADP officer on the spot. "She's going to a hospital… they're afraid she won't live." Seeing the uncaring, bloodshot eyes of Leon wobbling back and forth, he had one more idea. "They also found Sylia and Nene, but neither of them knows anything about Priss. Linna's the only one who might, so we need to go see her now."

That seemed to flick the dim light on in Leon's head. "'Kay," he slurred, turning towards the wrong end of the road before Masaki finally managed to steer him in the right direction. The two men lumbered their way towards the fastest transportation that they could find back to Switzerland.

Meanwhile, back at that house, the door opened to the room where Nigel rested. He lay unmoving and unresponsive, tucked tightly under warm blankets, as a lone figure drifted to the side of his bed. That figure lowered her head down to his cold forehead, placing a kiss there while she gently wiped a stray strand of hair back into the pillow.

"Nigel, I know you've helped me try to get past everything. Now, I'm going to finish what we started… and I wanted to do it with you," Sylia said, holding up a box of matches. She held one match between shaking fingers, striking it along the box and lighting the darkened room with its flame. "Now it ends, my love," she whispered, preparing to drop the match onto the sheets… planning to ignite the bed with its burning touch, in turn engulfing the room with its all-consuming blaze. Flames could take the two remaining pieces of her father's work in one fell swoop, cleansing the Earth of some of his devilish intentions forever.

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: PA – personal assistant. Mini computer worn on wrist that tells time, can access the net, run programs, and play music as well. 


	14. Ch 13: Awake

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 13 – "Awake"

* * *

"Linna? Linna, are you awake?"

The young Japanese woman stirred and opened her stiff eyelids a crack. She blinked hard, blinded by the light that flooded her raw eyes. "Owwww."

"Sorry. Here, let me turn the lights down for you," the masculine voice offered.

"Thank you," she replied. The dimming lights allowed for her eyes to open fully and focus on the blond-haired man sitting next to her bed, his silhouette framed by the sunlit glow filtering through long beige curtains waving across the wall behind him. "Masaki…?"

The man froze, blinking twice before a huge smile erupted on his face. "Wait! What… what did you say!"

"Masaki?" she repeated.

"Wow! That's great! You remember me!" He reached under the blanket and cupped her hand with both of his own.

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

"The others… they said you had amnesia. They said you couldn't even remember who you were, much less anyone else. But you remember me! This is terrific!" he exclaimed. His elation began to fade as a confused look spread across Linna's pale face. "What's the matter?"

She brought her free hand up to gingerly touch the fresh bandage at the back of her neck. "I… I'm not sure…"

"You know who I am, right? Do you remember your name?"

"I think… aren't you… my brother?"

"Brother…? Hahahahaha!" He laughed, before seeing the concern still present on Linna's face. Masaki gathered himself, bowing back towards the bed. "I'm sorry. You don't have any brothers or sisters, or at least none that I know of."

"Oh, that's right. Wait! I'm Linna… Linna Yamazaki!"

"That's right!"

"And… and… oh gosh…"

"What?"

"I'm missing school right now, right?"

"School!"

"I just knew it! I knew I'd miss the landing pad on the high bar one of these days!"

"Huh?"

"That's how I hurt my neck, right? I just knew that if I didn't stretch out my knee before practice, I'd screw up my form and throw myself off to the side! Now look at me! I'm a mess!" she cried, peeking under the blankets to find out what other surprise injuries waited for her there.

"Um, Linna?"

"Yes?" she answered innocently, lowering the blanket back into place.

"You didn't hurt yourself at track."

"I didn't? Was it… was it a car accident? Are Mom and Dad okay!"

"It wasn't a car accident, and your mom and dad are fine. I talked to them this morning. They are very worried about you, y'know."

"But how did I wind up in the hospital then? Why isn't Mom here with me?"

"Linna…" Masaki began, unsure of where to start, before deciding to get more information first. "…What year is it?"

"Why it's…" She paused for a second, taxing her mind for the answer. "… 2038… I think."

"2038!" The man's eyes widened then narrowed as he decided to play along for now to see the extent of the problem. "So that makes you a senior in high school, right?"

"Yeah, right."

"And you haven't graduated yet, right?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to finish this summer, if I can keep my English grades up. I just hate foreign languages."

"So… have you ever been to Tokyo before?"

"Well…" she started, putting one hand on her chin, as she pieced together parts of her fractured memory. "… I did get to see the national track meet last year! But that was just on the outskirts of the city. We didn't even get to do any sightseeing!" she pouted, her voice reaching almost nauseating girlish tones. "Oh! I think I remember taking this trip through the inner city though! I think we even flew in a helicopter too! And it showed the space elevator construction just starting, and the new wings at Genom headquarters and everything!"

Masaki smacked his forehead in disbelief. "You didn't take that trip through Tokyo, Linna."

"I didn't?"

"That was a TV special that aired a few years ago."

"Oh. Wait! I remember that now! It… it aired… a few years ago? But…"

"It seems like it was just on yesterday, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Linna?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever seen a boomer before?"

"Um… do you mean, like, in person?"

"Yes."

"Well, I don't…" she started to answer, before doubts began to swell in the back of her mind.

"And you've never worked for a company called Hugh Geit, right?"

"Hugh Geit?" she repeated weakly, even more doubts clouding her confidence.

"Have you ever heard of a group called the 'Knight Sabers'?" Masaki continued quietly, touching on the one subject he hoped would spark the remainder of her memories.

"…Knight… Sabers…?"

For Masaki, Linna didn't have to say the answer out loud… the blank glaze over her pale violet eyes told the rest of the story. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if there would be any change. When it didn't come, he leaned over and gave her a reassuring hug, even as her mind continued to toil on the question. "Just relax and get some rest for now. I'm going to get the doctor along with a couple of friends of yours, okay?"

She blinked a couple of times, then shook her head to refocus, replying with a fragile "… okay…" before settling down into the soft pillow. Unfortunately, the settling process caused a sharp pain in the back of her neck, forcing her to abandon her otherwise comfortable position and roll onto her side. As she watched Masaki leave the small hospital room and close the door behind him, her mind drifted back to his questions, and in particular the last one he had asked. _"Knight Sabers… Knight Sabers… where have I heard that name before? A group? He said they were a group… is it… a band?"_ Something about that thought tugged at something in the recesses of her mind for just a moment, but the truth remained hidden in the distance beyond for the dazed and confused country girl.

* * *

Light crept across the bedroom floor, bathing the pristine Oriental rug with its bright hues. Sylia pulled the covers over her head, blocking out the light. The pulling action agitated the blisters on her right hand, where the match had burned down at the tip of her fingers. She hadn't found the willpower to drop the match then, much as she didn't have the willpower to even eat or get out of bed now. Sylia was now part of the living dead. Even Henderson's pleas with her hadn't moved the woman to any sort of action during the past few days, not since Jill and Katsumi had found her again, not since Linna was carted off to the hospital by a boomer that her artificial doppelganger had presumably modified.

But Galatea was merely a symptom of the problem, a virus still spreading out of control. At first, the Knight Sabers seemed to be the cure Sylia was searching for. But in her haste to stamp out the disease of her father's creation, she had inadvertently infected those around her. Now the best way to avoid hurting anyone else was to remain isolated from the world. In some respects, Sylia could see the logic in committing suicide. However, despite all the murder and butchery she was privy to in the past, regardless of all the violence her own hardsuits were capable of, and the violence she herself had wrought countless times before, she couldn't bring herself to the final solution… even if it seemed that death was the only way out of this endless nightmare she lay trapped in.

Sylia gripped the blankets tightly in both hands and curled up under the covers, hoping that eternal sleep would finally find her on this day.

* * *

"Switzerland! How did I get to Switzerland!" Linna gasped.

"Well, we didn't know who you were. The only people we thought that could answer that question were here," Katsumi explained sincerely.

"But I don't even know anyone from Switzerland!"

"The people who we knew weren't in Japan anymore, at least not since the boomer plague."

"The boomer plague?"

Katsumi let out an uneasy sigh, turning towards Jill and shrugging her shoulders. "We know more than she does at this point."

"And is that such a bad thing?" her friend remarked callously, sitting in a chair beside the window. In her lap rested an English language magazine that she held gingerly with her bandaged right arm, leafing through it with her left hand. "Maybe we shouldn't be tampering with her then."

"We have to! She's the only one who might help us find Priss!" Nene shouted.

"Priss?" Linna asked, bewildered.

"Do you remember her? Please tell me you remember her!" Nene pleaded from the other side of the bed.

"Priss… Priss… it sounds familiar…"

"C'mon, Linna, think! Please!"

That name drifted within the haze filling the country girl's mind, teasing her with its possible meanings. "I think…"

"Yes?"

"I… I think… I think I can't picture anything about her." She sighed in frustration.

Nene let out her own tired sigh in turn.

"Give her a break, Nene. She can't even remember you yet, and she's looking right at you," Jill chided.

"Well… Well… I thought that Linna might remember more about Priss because she means…" Nene suddenly stopped her speech, blushing as she pondered the consequences of revealing what she had almost blurted out.

"Means what?" Katsumi questioned curiously.

"Yeah, means what?" Linna asked too.

"Oh no." Nene hid her face behind her hands.

"What?" Jill chimed in as well, now very curious as to the meaning.

Just then, the door opened, allowing Masaki to slither through, carefully holding a tray full of four cups of coffee in his hands.

"Ah! My savior!" Nene beamed, leaping up from her chair to relieve Masaki of her cup of coffee.

The man innocently handed Katsumi her cup, oblivious to the line of questioning. "Here you are, ladies," he added, walking around the bed to hand Jill hers.

She took the cup with her good hand, then glanced up at Masaki with a flash of inspiration. "Hmm, I wonder if he might know."

"Know what?"

"What Priss means to Linna here?" Katsumi joined in.

"Yeah," Linna added, although now a little concerned about what the answer might reveal.

"Priss? And Linna?" he gulped, his eyes shifting around the room, until he found Nene hiding her face behind her coffee cup. "Am I to guess that she started this topic?" he accused, trying to avoid divulging the answer himself.

Jill saw right through his tactics. "Ahh, so you **do** know something, don't you?"

"Well, you see…" he started, nervously pacing into the far corner of the room. He glanced over his shoulder back at Linna, who was intently staring at him. "… all I can really say is that they are very good friends, and they mean a lot to each other."

"So what can't you say?" Katsumi baited.

"Well…" Masaki stalled, turning to face her when he noticed Jill leaning forward in her seat, preparing to cut down his denial. Finally, he noticed Linna cringing into her pillow between them, and recognized the answer right then. "… The rest is really something that is better left private for now, at least until Linna gets more of her memory back," he added diplomatically.

An audible sigh from Nene drew everyone's attention. "What!" she cried, surprised. "That's what I meant to say too!"

Jill leaned back in her seat, letting her magazine fall to the floor as she concentrated on her coffee. "I don't know. It sounds like you guys are trying to hide the obvious from us." She winked over to Katsumi. "I mean, we **both** remember what Sylia's like. You may not exactly be her type, Nene, but I'd be willing to bet that Linna was hand picked by Sylia for more than just her athletic ability, if you catch my drift."

Katsumi had to blush herself at some of the memories of their first times changing into the softsuits and Sylia's "reactions" to them.

Linna blinked at Jill, deeply confused. "Huh?"

Masaki sipped on his coffee, pretending not to notice.

"Actually, Priss personally picked Linna," Nene corrected, bringing the hot brew to her lips and taking a sip. The quiet hush that filled the room forced the cup down from her mouth as she glanced around to find the other four occupants of the room staring at her. "What?"

"Priss picked me? Personally?" Linna repeated.

"Well, yeah."

Masaki spat out his coffee all over the floor as Katsumi let out a telling "… oh my God…"

"Oh… sorry, so sorry," he apologized profusely. "I'll clean that up right away," he stammered, setting his coffee cup on the window ledge and beating a hasty retreat from the room.

"I guess that about explains it," Jill smirked.

"Explains what?" Linna asked nervously. "What did she pick me for!"

Nene stared at her in disbelief, then broke out laughing. The other two women joined in the contagious display.

"What! What's so funny!"

"It's… it's nothing, Linna…" Nene started to apologize, before a knock on the door silenced the laughter.

The door opened allowing a pair of doctors to enter. "Sorry to disturb you, Miss Yamazaki," the first one announced. He surveyed the occupants of the room while slowly walking towards Linna. "I'm Dr. Boynton. I performed your operation. I heard you were awake now and I wanted to personally see how you were doing."

Nene moved away from Linna's bedside to give the doctor access for his checkup. He stood beside the bed, reaching over and grabbing an electronic clearscreen hanging above the headboard. He spoke while reviewing the contents of the medical records contained there. "According to these notes, you're suffering from mild amnesia right now. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, I guess," Linna answered weakly.

The doctor glanced around the room, seeing a few nods from the other people present. "How is the pain right now?"

"Not too bad. The nurse gave me some medication a little while ago."

"I see," he confirmed from the notes on the clearscreen. "Did the nurse also talk to you about your injuries?"

"No, she said a doctor would talk to me later."

"Well, I guess that makes me that doctor then," he joked lightly. "You were brought in with a mass at the base of your neck."

"A mass?" she asked.

"Y… yes," the doctor answered a little slowly, reassessing the patient's own knowledge on the fly. "It was causing multiple neural problems, interfering with motor functions, heart reliability and breathing. We felt it was necessary to remove the mass immediately in order to increase the chance of survival. Luckily, we were able to remove it in its entirety the first time, and as you can probably see, your vitals are now stabilized now and very promising."

"But… the mass? Was it… cancer, or something?"

The man coughed nervously. "Well, our tests have shown it wasn't malignant, but I'm a little hesitant to label it as cancerous right now. We've ensured that it is properly handled," he spoke cryptically, glancing over at the cautious Jill. He recalled the pointed conversation she had had with him regarding 'the mass', and the confirmation from his old friend Meisho Henderson back at the Stingray family home. "But you're well on the road to recovery. With any luck, your memory should return over time. Of course, we'll need to do more scans of the affected area to ensure proper healing is taking place, and you will need to see a specialist for the next few months until everything checks out okay."

"Okay," Linna agreed.

"But in the meantime, can you turn over so I can check your stitch work?"

"Sure." Linna rolled over to her side while the doctor carefully peeled back the bandage.

"Hmm, the nurse needs to change this. As soon as we're done, I'll have one come in and take care of you, okay?"

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, a little unnerved.

"In the meantime, there's someone here who's been anxious to see you."

"Really?"

"I'm not sure if you remember much about how you were brought here. I was as shocked as anyone to hear of a medical rescue boomer actually enveloping a patient and carrying them to a hospital," he spoke as the other doctor motioned into the hallway.

A series of metallic clinks drew everyone's attention to the doorway as the doctor calmly glanced over his shoulder. Jill, Katsumi, Nene were stunned by the reappearance of the green hardsuit that strolled into the room.

The doctor continued to talk. "After the boomer brought you here and alerted medical staff, it found a maintenance shop and… recharged its batteries there, I guess. It patched into the hospital network to check your condition, and started sending e-mails and messages to the hospital staff when the data wasn't adequate. Finally one of the techs came and asked us to bring it up here to you…" The doctor finally turned around and noticed Linna staring at the 'medical rescue boomer', her face completely drained of color, her mouth hanging open. "… Um, Ms. Yamazaki?"

Linna wasn't paying attention to the doctor any longer. As soon she saw the boomer walk through the doorway, nightmares began flickering through the recesses of her mind. She couldn't remember anything specific, but she was sure she knew this boomer from somewhere, and that 'somewhere' wasn't good. The problem was that the more she struggled to remember, the less she was certain of. In fact, she wasn't even sure how she knew what a boomer was at all. But the more she looked at the orange visor, the sleek edges leading along the shoulders, the cold metal armor, the faster the pulsing images flashed in her mind. Images of humans… were they friends?... boomers, workers, monsters… her enemies?… then more pictures: danger, combat, struggles, injuries, rescues, space, blood, death… and then, one clear memory… The green boomer approaching her, lit by the glowing figure behind it. She was unable to escape, unable to get away. The boomer stretching one glowing hand at her head while she was struggling to get free, bound by something, someone, the glowing figure. "G-Galatea?"

"Galatea?" The doctor repeated Linna's question, momentarily confused with the forgotten word. However, repressed memories of that name came back to the doctor as he uttered a name himself. "Dr. Stingray…"

The others in the room turned towards the doctor who, like his patient, was now lost in the past. Doctor and patient stared blankly at each other, seeing, but apparently not seeing the other. Linna's past, however, began to haunt her much more realistic sense.

Through her eyes, the doctor's shape and form morphed from the elderly lab-coated man into something far more terrible. Out of his bald head flowed long black hair, his thin eyes widened into burning crimson orbs of vengeance, his white coat slimmed and curved to fit into a female body… the body of the being she knew only as an angel of death. "N-no… get away… GET AWAY!" she screamed, struggling backwards, trying to claw her way through the bottom of the mattress.

Nene ran to her friend's side, grabbing hold of one arm to try and calm her down. "Linna, what's wrong?"

Masaki burst through the door, mop in hand. He rushed over to the bed to see what he could do to help. Linna didn't even acknowledge their presence; she continued to scream and flail in apparent fear for her life. In her mind, Galatea stretched out one corrupting hand to her heart, preparing to rip her very soul out of her chest. Behind her, the hardsuit approached with its outstretched hand leveled towards her forehead, ready to shred the rest of her sanity… which was rapidly dissolving under the weight of her own fragmented memories.

The doctor at least recognized this fact and called for assistance. Katsumi and Jill could only stand back and watch in horror as Masaki and Nene fought to hold Linna down. A team of nurses and doctors came and finally managed to administer tranquilizers to the tortured woman. After a tense few moments, her eyes fluttered towards the back of her head and her body finally relaxed, collapsing into the tangled mass of sheets, wires, and tubes.

For its part, the hardsuit closely monitored the situation from the doorway. Once Linna fell unconscious, it silently turned back out the door and down the hall again, towards the maintenance bay. From there it could keep a watchful eye over its charge while remaining 'unseen', as it had been ordered before.

A few minutes later, the swarm of doctors and nurses had exited, leaving the other women and Masaki alone in the room.

"Maybe we shouldn't have brought her back here," Katsumi said, breaking the uneasy silence while glancing over at the oblivious Linna. Even in deep sleep, her troubled mind still fought whatever she had seen before as she turned her head from side to side and mumbled under each slow, labored breath.

Standing next to the seated Katsumi, Jill nodded her head. "I can only imagine what she's been through."

"I can't, and I was there for a lot of it," Nene added. Sitting in the chair closest to Linna, Nene reached over and brushed a strand of brown hair from her friend's sweat-beaded face. She turned back to Jill and Katsumi with a questioning look on her own face. "So why did you bring Linna back here anyway? Why did you want to find out who she was?"

The two women looked at each other, Katsumi shrugging her shoulders while Jill let out a deep sigh, bowing her head even as she replied to Nene's questions. "We didn't have much of a choice really. We wanted to confirm some suspicions we had about what Sylia was really up to."

"But when Sylia mentioned 'the old Sabers', she never even said you were still alive. I just assumed that the boomer had killed both of you." Nene looked up and noticed Katsumi wincing at her tale, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the boomer attack or from Sylia's impersonal treatment of their memories.

For her part, Jill just sneered. "In Sylia's mind, we were probably as good as dead. Kat and I weren't any help to her anymore, so she chose to ignore us. Then again, that e-mail I sent back to her a couple of months ago probably just cemented that fact in her thick head anyway."

"E-mail?" Nene asked, confused.

"Yeah. I guess that, since she just barely mentioned us, she wouldn't have told you that she tried to get us to come back when she found out about the Wizlab being on Genom's 'most wanted' list," Jill explained.

"But I still don't understand something," Katsumi spoke up. "If Sylia still had you three, then why did she need us too?"

"I guess she figured with that sotai thing, she needed all the help she could get," Jill surmised.

"Not exactly," Nene corrected, bowing her head as she back-peddled to the time in question. "If Sylia sent that e-mail when I think she did, I was the only one still on the team."

"Still on the team?" Katsumi asked as both former Sabers paid close attention.

Nene glanced over at the unconscious Linna and felt a sick sense of déjà-vu as she began to recount the painful events.

"I guess it all started with an office boomer. All three of us were attacking it, with Linna taking it on first. She… well… it turned out that she worked for the boomer that went rogue."

"So what?" Jill said indifferently. "It's a rogue boomer. Just kill it, right?"

"I wish she could have, or that Priss or I had," Nene said, her voice full of regrets. "But that wasn't Linna. She… she had this respect for boomers. She treated them more humanely than most people treat other people. And when she saw a boomer that she knew, I guess she just couldn't bring herself to kill it."

"Let me guess. It creamed her, right?" Jill replied unsympathetically, getting an evil glare from both Katsumi and Nene in turn. "What?"What! I'm right, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but you could be a little nicer about it, y'know," Nene countered, obviously hurt.

"It's okay, Nene," Katsumi said, trying to calm her down. "Please, what happened next?"

The former ADP officer huffed at Jill, but smiled at Katsumi as she continued. "The boomer hurt her, but I don't think it was that bad. At least, it wasn't why she wound up in the hospital afterwards."

"Hospital?" Katsumi asked, concerned.

"When we tried to rescue her, the boomer used Linna's hardsuit as a shield. Priss…" Nene paused as she recalled the stark images from the hardsuit data recorders. "… Priss tried to take out the boomer, but hit Linna with a knucklebomb instead."

"Ouch," Jill whispered, as both she and Katsumi traded glances over at the bedridden woman.

"We… we got her to a hospital. Priss… she took it real hard. She blamed herself completely."

"Since she was responsible for Linna being on the team in the first place, right?" Jill guessed.

"Yeah, I think that was a big part of it. But, even worse, somehow Linna's injuries… well, because of the accident, she found out she could never have her own kids."

Katsumi gasped at the revelation. "Oh God, that's horrible."

"And when Priss found out, that was the last straw for her. She quit right then, and Linna was taken home by her parents, thanks to Genom's help. That left just me and Sylia."

"So that explains the e-mail then," Jill spoke up. "I can only imagine what her real response was when she found out about the Wizlab, and when she realized how stretched she would be. But I still don't understand something."

"What?" Katsumi asked.

"Why didn't Sylia just come out and tell us why she really needed the help if she was so desperate? Why not tell us about Galatea?"

"I think she was afraid that if you knew the truth, you wouldn't want to help," Nene spoke up. "At least, that's why she hid the truth from me."

Jill nodded towards Nene. "Yeah, that's true. I suppose Sylia has never really been able to trust anyone in a long time."

"Especially after all the things her father did to her," Nene added. "So," the young woman continued, her voice perking up, "what did you two do after the Knight Sabers? I guess I'm hoping for some advice, since it seems like neither the ADP nor the Knight Sabers are going to be needed any time soon."

Katsumi smiled at the welcome change in topic, but then frowned as she realized where it would lead. "Well, we started a security consultation business back in the US. Jill had a lot of contacts from her military pals over there, and I'm pretty good with the cyber stuff."

"Really?" Nene perked up even further.

"Yeah! Things were really starting to build up for us. At least, until last week…"

"Once we rescued Linna from the hospital, we had to burn some bridges to make it out of the country in one piece. I don't think we'd be welcomed back with open arms right about now," Jill added grimly.

"So what about your business? What are you going to do now?" Nene looked expectantly at both of them, waiting for their plan.

Katsumi just stared back at Nene silently. She glanced over at Jill, who had her head bowed in thought.

"I suppose we've started from scratch once. We can do it again, right?" She looked up, strangely looking for support from Katsumi.

Katsumi blinked twice, then broke into a smile as she reached down and took her business partner's hand. "Yes, we can do it again."

Jill smiled in return, then glanced over in Nene's direction. "And maybe we could use a little more help in getting started. What do you think, Kat?"

Katsumi turned to face the astonished Nene. "Well, I could certainly use a hand keeping up with the cyber protection software."

Nene wasn't sure what to say. With so many things on her mind, she hadn't seriously considered life after the Knight Sabers yet. She was just happy to still be alive. And yet, it was those who weren't as lucky as she that occupied her thoughts at that moment. Foremost was the one being she was most concerned about. But as she glanced up into the expectant eyes of the two former Sabers, two people she could almost call friends now, Nene wondered if somehow, someway, things might work out for her and Mackey here in Switzerland after all…

* * *

"So, do you have it?"

"Of course. It's not like I could pass up an opportunity like this," the doctor replied flatly.

Standing close together in the unused hospital room, the two men kept their voices very low.

"Here," Dr. Boynton's assistant presented a sealed cryo-storage unit. "I'm certain that this will preserve the specimen to your specifications."

"If not, we'll be in touch again," the agent answered with a thinly veiled threat. Taking the small box by the handle, the dark-suited American reached into his jacket and pulled out a thin envelope. "Here's your material. I'm certain that it will provide the required boost to your research."

The anxious doctor grabbed the envelope from the man's hands and held it close to his chest, almost caressing it with his obsession. "Thank you for your country's business."

The agent nodded, adjusted his sunglasses, then turned and left the doctor to his vices. The man took some small measure of satisfaction from recovering the 'alien' object that had eluded some of the US government's best in Chicago not less than a week ago. On his way to the Swiss airport, he smiled, thinking of the boost his performance rankings would see. He had in his possession something that every government in the world wanted to control… a small key to the phenomenon that had nearly wiped out Japan, which in turn would be a boon to the power projection of whomever could harness its destructive power once again.

_To be continued…_


	15. Ch 14: Remember

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 14 – "Remember"

* * *

Nene crept nervously to the bedroom door, her hands shaking, holding her breath tightly. A sharp noise, a loud creak, shattered the silence. Nene's head jerked downwards in time for her to realize it had simply been her foot on the old wooden floor.

"Whew," she exhaled slowly, glancing back over her shoulder at Mackey to make sure he was still lying in his bed.

He was, at least for the moment, which didn't settle her nerves much. She still expected to find him walking behind her despite the fact that he was in a coma, if that term applied to boomers.

The room grew eerily quiet once more, and Nene looked back to the bedroom door to face her fears. She took one step, then another, towards the dark, looming door. A faint wisp of light shone under the barrier to Mackey's bedroom, with no sign of shadows in the hallway on the other side.

_But ghosts don't give off shadows, do they? _The teenager questioned her own bravery as she faced the door. She closed her eyes, silently counted to three, then grabbed the handle and threw the door open, screaming as she did so. "HAH!"

For an instant, she saw an empty upstairs hallway before the door bounced off the stop and slammed shut again, rattling the windows and knocking a picture off the wall.

"… oops…" Sheepishly, Nene reopened the door, verifying that no one was on the other side and that no one was awake now.

Down the hallway, another door opened and a light blue-haired head peeked around the corner.

This time, Nene thought she might actually be seeing a ghost. "Sylia?"

The older woman retreated back into her 'cave' and closed the door behind her without a single word.

"… Oh, Sylia…" Nene let out a deep sigh, as she thought about what the former Knight Saber's leader had endured. But remembering the incident in the front of the house, as Sylia lowered a shotgun at Linna, the young woman couldn't help but feel that Sylia was partially responsible for her own suffering.

"Mistress Nene? Is everything alright up there?" Henderson called up the stairs to her.

Stifling an exhausted yawn, she stepped through the doorway and peered down the stairs at him. "Sorry about the noise. I guess I was loud enough to wake the dead, eh?"

"It was certainly loud enough to rouse me from a very deep sleep."

"And loud enough to wake up Sylia, although she never said a word and immediately went back into her room."

"Oh dear. I do hope that she comes out of this… state… she's fallen into."

"I do too, Henderson," Nene agreed, finally letting out a yawn. "I'm going to try and get some more sleep now, g'night and sorry again," she apologized, holding the back of her head with one hand, then stretching both arms over her head as she walked back into the bedroom.

"Goodnight, Ms. Nene," Henderson called up the stairs before retiring to the service quarters on the lower floor.

Nene softly closed the door, then leaned back against it and rested for a moment, letting the memories of what had disturbed her refresh in her mind.

It had all started with a noise at the door that drawn Nene from her spot on the floor next to Mackey's bed. She remembered walking around the bed towards the door, then hearing another sound behind her and spinning around to find Mackey awake, out of bed, his eyes glowing with that bastard green light. She recalled the door flinging itself open with a howling wind bursting through the small space… spinning around to find a woman standing in the doorway, a horrifyingly familiar woman. Someone who looked just like Priss, covered by a dripping green haze, her eyes glowing crimson. From her accursed lips flowed damning words of hate, malice, and revenge, but those weren't the words that frightened her the most. The worst memory was that of Mackey wrapping two mutating arms around her from behind, and chastising Nene's failure.

"_I told you to stop her. When I helped you get away, I warned you. But you didn't listen. Now she's here, and now she will control everything. Not just boomers, not this time. No, this time, she will rule over humanity as well."_

Nene's eyes snapped open as her heart begged to find those memories untrue. As she looked around the calm room, at Mackey still in his coma, and with no more visions of Galatea, she sighed in relief. However, as she slipped back under the covers of her futon on the floor next to Mackey's raised bed, her mind was deeply troubled. _Priss, I wish I knew what happened to you up there _

The pale moonlight sifted through the curtains, reflecting off the wood floor and onto the ceiling. Nene stared unblinkingly up at the patch of light as she waited for morning to come and end her futile attempts at sleep.

* * *

Masaki walked through the pristine hospital lobby, paying little attention to the man following him. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. You can just go back to the hotel room if you want, Leon."

The surly man looked up from his feet momentarily, catching a glimpse of Masaki's disapproving eyes. It was true that he didn't want to see the woman who had stolen Priss' heart away from him. But in the back of his mind, he knew that Linna was probably his only chance to find out what had really happened to Priss in space. "I'm coming."

From that point, they walked in silence up to the recovery floor where Linna's room was located. Once they exited the elevator, they checked the room numbers and turned left to get to her wing. Just before her room, they passed a quiet lounge, where a lone blond-haired woman waited. Out of the corner of his eye, Leon caught a glimpse of Nene and did an immediate about-face towards her. For the first time in days, a genuine smile spread over his face. It was easy to fall back into the old mannerisms learned at the ADP. "Heya kid! How are you doing?"

"Oh. Hi, Leon," Nene answered.

"What? No Leon-poo? Or even Leon-peon?" he joked, holding out his arms invitingly.

"Oh, you big dummy." Nene finally gave in, getting up from her seat to give him a warm hug. "It's good to see you again, alive and all."

"Hey, that's my line! You're the one who flew into space to try to stop Galatea and save Linna after all," he added quietly, scrubbing the top of her head.

"Watch the hair, watch the hair!" she played along, shooing his hand away, then reclaimed her seat in the empty waiting area.

"Masaki told me what you guys had found out so far. So I guess Galatea's gone for good now."

The girl looked down at her shoes, haunted by her nightmare. "I hope so," she said weakly.

"You hope so?" Leon queried.

Nene looked up at him with worry written in her eyes, considering how to explain. "I just… it was something I remember Mackey telling me in space. He said 'You still have to stop her', even after I was blown away from the battle."

"So he was encouraging you to fight as hard as you could then."

"No, that's just it. He… I think he knew I was out of the fight in space, but he was trying to warn me about something…" Nene paused for a long moment, considering the implications of what she was about to say and what it would mean to Leon. But that was precisely why she had to be truthful to him. "At the time, I didn't know exactly what he meant, but now I know what he was talking about. It was something about Priss…"

"Priss!" Nene had Leon's full attention from that moment.

"It started with Linna. The reason Galatea took her was to try and remake herself again."

"But that's why Linna's here, isn't it? Because it didn't work. But, but it doesn't make any sense! Why would Galatea try and remake herself?"

"I don't know why, but that's what she was trying to do, until Priss stopped her somehow. But then…" Nene paused again.

"Then what?" Leon snapped impatiently.

"Galatea tried to use Priss instead."

Leon stared at Nene, dumbfounded. Finally, he blinked as the consequences began to play out in his head. "So, so what does that mean? What happened to her!"

"I wish I knew. I mean, from what Sylia's told us, that sort of procedure isn't easy to pull off. And this time, the process almost killed Linna."

"Almost! But then, what if Priss…"

"I know, I've been thinking about that too. Maybe… maybe I can do a search for unknowns in hospitals, search for anyone that matches her profile."

"From the sound of it, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if you couldn't find her."

"What?"

"Well, I don't want to think about what would happen if another Galatea was still alive."

"Yeah, I guess. But still, I hope that Priss…"

"I know, Nene, so do I," Leon added wistfully.

The two remained silent, losing themselves in their thoughts until Masaki returned to the lounge area with a stack of papers in his hands. "Gotta love these medical forms," he remarked sarcastically.

"Why do you get all the fun?" Leon joked back.

Masaki smiled for a moment before turning serious. "These Swiss doctors are really friendly… but only when they get paid."

"Are they discharging her?" Leon surmised.

"Wait! Maybe we can talk to Sylia…" Nene started, before remembering her former leader's fragile mental state.

"It's already been taken care of." Masaki waved them both off with his free hand. "Linna's father's insurance has already assumed the bills, but they insisted on transferring her back to Japan as soon as possible."

"So when do the doctors say that is?" Leon asked.

"In about one hour or so," the blond man answered, straight-faced. "Those insurance companies sure know how to pull some strings when it comes to customs and travel. I think it only took them ten minutes on the phone with me to make all the necessary arrangements."

Nene fell back into her seat wearily, her head falling into her hands. "S-so that's it then. Linna's going back home again."

Leon rested a hand on his old comrade's shoulder sympathetically. "It's probably the best thing for her anyway." That was as far as his good nature extended, as he turned back towards Masaki with the only question that really mattered to him. "Since you talked to the doctors, has Linna shown any other progress with her memory? Anything on Priss?"

Masaki just let out another tired sigh. "No, nothing new. They've kept her heavily sedated for the last 24 hours or so, after the hardsuit incident yesterday."

"Hardsuit incident? You didn't mention anything about a hardsuit incident."

Masaki and Nene stared at each other, trying to decide who would be the one to tell Leon about Linna's hardsuit. The blond girl blinked first, then bowed her head as she began to fill Leon in on the missing details.

A few minutes later, Leon was sitting next to Nene in the lounge, his own head bowed in disbelief before he started grumbling to no one in particular. "She goes out, gets herself drunk, almost gets killed by Galatea, then just jumps in her hardsuit and gets herself caught. She gets used as a guinea pig by Galatea, then shows up a couple of days later with no memory and a hardsuit that's now acting on its own," he spat out, shaking his head back and forth before looking up into the annoyed faces around him. "Is it just me or are things here not adding up?"

Nene's exhausted patience snapped. "Just drop the ADP badge routine, would you, and think about what she's going through right now!"

"But what about that hardsuit walking around the hospital!"

"Who _cares! _That hardsuit saved Linna's life!"

"Have you thought about why a boomer would want to save her?"

"What?"

"That hardsuit wasn't thinking on its own until Galatea got her hands on it. You said yourself that she was trying to use Linna to recreate herself… so who's to say she didn't succeed?"

Nene shut her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about someone in there who doesn't have the memories that Linna should have, yet looks just like her. Someone who survived a trip from space and now has a boomer watching over her."

"I survived that 'trip from space', so do you think I'm a Galatea clone too!" she mocked him, fists clenched on her hips.

"No, that's not…" he started before Nene cut him off again.

"And her memory is starting to come back! So drop it!"

Leon was about to open his mouth again when Masaki stepped between the former ADP officers. "As much as I'd like to debate this with you two," he started sarcastically, "I've got to get ready to go now. Leon? Can you finish packing my stuff back at the hotel, please? I've got less than an hour to finish this paperwork and get Linna and myself to the airport."

For a second, the look on the big man's face made Masaki think that he was going to protest. But just as quickly as it was there, his stance softened. "Sure. I'll have you out in fifteen minutes."

"Thank you," Masaki answered sincerely. "Nene, would you mind helping me with this paperwork?"

She took a deep breath then held out her arms readily. "Alright, let's get to it!"

* * *

Two hours later, Masaki watched from the airplane window as the mountains of Switzerland shrank away beneath the clouds. He reclined back in his seat and checked again on Linna beside him, making sure she was resting as comfortably as she could. He brushed a stray hair from her forehead, tucking her blanket snugly around her. "We'll get you back home, Linna, don't worry. You'll be back where you belong soon."

* * *

Katsumi stood in the doorway, surveying the promising office. The 50 square meter space was furnished only with light tan carpeting at the moment. The walls were decorated in a two tone color scheme that complemented the crème colored window blinds nicely. "Well, it looks pleasant enough."

Jill eyed the layout, trying to project what the space could best be used for. "I like the price, and it looks like it would fit two effectively and comfortably."

"But what if there are three?" Kat added, a little optimistically, Jill thought.

"Hoping for that help already?"

Katsumi smiled sheepishly as she walked over to the tall window and peered through the drawn blinds. "After reviewing the prospective clients list, I'm a little nervous about the workload."

"Nervous?"

"Okay, maybe more than that. There's just so much need for cybersecurity here that I'm not sure I can keep up."

"It _is _a double edged sword… a lot of work to get us started, but is it so much that we'll sink from the load?" she asked rhetorically.

Katsumi was even less sure than Jill as she began to fiddle mindlessly with the blinds. She barely noticed the busy street outside, lined on each side with other private businesses. Her mind was occupied with deeper thoughts, ones that wouldn't stay buried for long. "Do you think we did the right thing in coming here?"

"Well, it looked like the most promising office space available."

"No, that's not what I mean." Katsumi let out a tense laugh. "I mean, was it really worth it to come here and find Sylia? Look at what happened when we brought Linna here. She almost killed her!"

"Yeah, and Linna would already be dead if we had left her in Chicago," Jill huffed.

"Maybe, but she might not be much better off right now."

"At least she's going back home. That's more than she'd be able to do if we hadn't found her when we did."

"I suppose you're right."

"Of course she's right!" The perky voice from the doorway drew both women's attention.

"Nene?" Jill asked, slightly confused, before glancing suspiciously over at Katsumi.

Katsumi saw, as she watched her partner out of the corner of one eye. "I guess you got my message."

"Yep, I sure did!"

"So does this mean…" Jill started to ask, putting some of the pieces of this puzzle together in her mind.

"… that I'll take the job?" Nene finished for her. "Well, I thought it over. I really want to stay as close to Mackey as I can, but in order to do that, I need a job… so what better way to get on my feet than to work with people who I have a little in common with, right?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Katsumi beamed.

Jill let out a defeated sigh. She briefly thought about protesting, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. Instead, she held out a hand to her new partner. "Welcome to the team, Nene."

The young woman shook Jill's hand, smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

Waking up in an airplane with no idea how she got there was bad enough for Linna. At least Masaki was there, even if she couldn't remember exactly how she knew him in the first place. However, landing in Japan and not recognizing her parents as they ran to greet her was worse. _God! How'd they get so… **old!** _she had wondered after a few minutes of excessively intensive squeezing and hugging, which she couldn't understand either since she still didn't know exactly **how** she'd gotten so far away from home in the first place. Even worse was the way her parents and Masaki avoided mentioning that very subject when she did finally get back home. For the first few days, their lack of responsiveness annoyed her almost as much as her own lack of memory.

The worst thing was that it all seemed to be as it was before: the familiar faces of family members trickling in to visit, her room arranged as it had been two years ago, even a call from one of her old teammates from school. Except that it wasn't the same. Those smiling family faces that hid something from her, the computer that had strangely vanished from her room, the background whispers in phone conversations about the village fountain, they were all little clues that told Linna things were anything but what they had been before. And the more she fought to remember, the less she was certain of. And those clues continued to trouble her.

In the hospital in Switzerland, Masaki's questions coupled with the comments from that girl... _What was her name again? Nene? _… planted those clues. Of course, the largest clue was something she vainly tried not to think about at all. That clue was the boomer at the hospital, just standing there in the doorway. But then, everything changed, horrible images played out from somewhere. That somewhere was a place Linna hoped she had never seen before, and that dreadful name that, no matter how much she tried to forget it, still held fast. _"… Galatea…"_

It had all seemed so real at the time. But as certain memories returned, other parts of the puzzle were still missing… and Linna preferred to leave it incomplete. Some things were better left unknown... or at least forever forgotten, she mused to herself.

Realizing that Linna needed some undisturbed rest, her parents ultimately decided to have a family gathering to stem the tide of visits. At the beginning, everyone expressed their sympathy about Linna's post surgical hair disaster, and many tried to ask her about Tokyo in general, which Linna's parents felt was acceptable. However, during that 'party', Linna overheard a question from one of her relatives by marriage. "About that fountain incident… do you really think she's into other women?" a man whispered to his wife. A sudden pained expression flashed over the man's face as his wife angrily hissed, "Misa told us not to talk about that!" Linna guessed the man took an elbow to the ribs even if she couldn't see for sure. That, coupled with the other whispers she had heard, was enough to pique her curiosity.

"About what incident?" she asked.

"Oh… oh, nothing at all," her cousin smiled nervously. "We were… just talking about that horrible boomer incident in Tokyo. That's all, heh heh."

Linna sighed and sunk her shoulders. _More lies… _

From the other side of the room, Misa glared at her niece and then cast a worried glance at Linna. Although she hadn't heard the conversation, she had a sneaking suspicion about the real topic of conversation. Despite that little slip, the rest of the evening managed to pass relatively quietly.

It was afterwards, when Linna snuck up on Misa finishing the dishes in the kitchen, that the questions finally came to a boil. "Mom?"

She had been so quiet that Misa was terribly startled, causing her to fumble a glass into the air. With a loud pop, it shattered into thousands of shards, scattering across the tiled floor. "Oh no." She bent over to pick up the larger pieces, but cut her finger on the first one. "Ouch!"

"Oh mom, I'm so sorry!" Linna carefully stepped over and began to help her clean up.

Misa grabbed a towel and wrapped her finger, then started to clean up again.

"Mom, stop! I'll take care of this. It's my fault anyway."

"No, it's not," she smiled. "I'm the one who dropped the glass. You really should stop blaming yourself for things…" Misa started, before realizing that Linna would have no idea what she was talking about.

Linna noticed the tone and paused, sighing deeply in frustration. She resumed her task, gathering up the rest of the big pieces up and tossing them into the garbage underneath the sink. She stood up with the intention of getting the broom to finish, but stood up too fast, making her head spin.

Misa saw the discomfort and caught her daughter as she started to sway. Carefully she led Linna over to the kitchen table, where she pulled out a chair so Linna could sit and rest. "You still need to take it easy, y'know," she chided her daughter with a gentle smile. Misa quickly retrieved the broom and swept up the remaining glass, disposing of the debris in order to tend to Linna. Misa poured a glass of water and brought it over to the troubled young woman, who was holding her head in discomfort. "Here, this should help."

Linna took the glass and carefully sipped from it. She bowed her head afterwards, still in pain, or so Misa thought until the first question escaped from her lips.

"Mom, who is Priss? And who are the Knight Sabers?" she asked desperately, her violet eyes pleading for the truth.

Misa knew the time had come. She couldn't avoid it any longer. Momentarily bowing her head in resignation, she looked up into Linna's face with grim determination. "This way." She stood and led Linna to her room, where she directed Linna to take a seat on the bed. Silently, Misa went into the closet and pulled out a box. Unpacking it, she quickly set up Linna's old computer on the desk by the bed. "I put this away when we heard about your amnesia. I wasn't trying to hide the truth from you, but I didn't want you to see this until you were ready."

Linna gulped hard and nodded. Her mom turned on the computer and the very first image Linna saw sent chills up her spine. There, right on the desktop, were two boomers… no…. _"… hardsuits…"_ she whispered out loud without realizing it, until her mother turned her head nervously.

"You remember?"

Linna tried, but couldn't recall how she knew that. She just knew they were hardsuits… whatever hardsuits really were. "Not much," she replied truthfully. "Just the name."

"Hmm, it's a start, I suppose. Y'know, before I put the computer away, this image wasn't even on the screen. I restored it so I'd have something else to remember you by…" The elder Yamazaki fought back a stray tear before focusing back on the present. Misa pointed to the screen, first at the blue hardsuit. "That's Priss. She wore the blue hardsuit. And that one, that's you," she said firmly, looking at her daughter and seeing the shock plainly written across her face. Concern overwhelmed Misa in that moment, and she reached for the power button to stop the process right there. However, she paused, realizing that this was no longer her decision to make. Unable to bring herself to look back, she asked Linna a question. "Do you want me to stop now?"

The response was short and tense, but decisive. "… No…"

The elder Yamazaki took a deep breath and then proceeded, opening up a folder hidden in the background. She started by showing Linna the research that her daughter had done before leaving for Tokyo the first time, the details gleaned from the Internet on the Knight Sabers. Next, she relayed the stories that Linna had told her a month ago, of how she had met Priss and joined the Knight Sabers. Then came the hardest part: telling her daughter about the accident, and about her infertility.

Tears welled in Linna's eyes as her soul overflowed with anguish. She mindlessly began to rub her abdomen, finally discovering the true nature of the brutal scar there. But she knew she needed to know more, to know the whole truth. "… Go on…" she mouthed, waiting for the dagger to drive deeper within.

Wiping away the tears from her own face, Misa could barely bring herself to continue, although she knew that she had to. Next, she talked about Masaki, about Linna's stay at home and her recovery after the accident. Then, turning back to the computer, she opened up three e-mails and let her daughter read them, leaving the room to give her some privacy. _"You mentioned them before, so I saved them even though I didn't read them myself. I got the impression they were a little private." _Half an hour later, she knocked on the door and re-entered Linna's bedroom, to find her beet red as she stared at the clearscreen monitor. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Y-yeah. I… can't believe I wrote this."

"I suppose I was right then?"

"Huh?"

"About the 'private' part."

"Oh, yeah, that. Uh, I guess you could say that," Linna said, blushing furiously.

Misa smiled and sat on the bed, ready to continue. She talked about finding out that Linna was a Knight Saber, and then the incident at the fountain, relaying as much as she knew for certain.

Although she still couldn't remember the event itself, the explanation certainly shed some light on others' attitudes now… not that it made it any easier to deal with.

Misa continued, explaining the request for help from Tokyo, and Linna's decision to go back even though she hadn't fully recovered from the accident. From there, Misa's details were sketchy, for she only had brief phone conversations and Masaki's second or third hand information to speak of. However, one name she mentioned rang like a shot in the back of Linna's mind. "… Galatea… you said that you blamed yourself for her release."

"Galatea! I… I know that name… in the hospital… I- I saw her face…"

"In the hospital!"

"I think… it was a memory…"

"Of what? What was it?"

"I- I don't remember where or when, or anything in particular, just that I was… I couldn't move, and Galatea and that boomer… I think… I think it was my hardsuit… they were… doing something to me…" Linna began to tremble under the strain, and Misa immediately pulled her to sit down beside her on the bed. She hugged her furiously, trying to protect her daughter from the memories that threatened to tear her apart from the inside out.

"You're here now. That's all that matters, honey. It's okay."

"I know. But, at the hospital, that boomer, my hardsuit, it was there…"

"But it's gone now. It doesn't matter. That's in the past and it's all behind you now."

Linna answered with a shaky "okay" which didn't settle Misa's nerves at all. "Do you want to stop now? It's getting late and we could both use some rest," she smiled.

Linna wasn't smiling. "No. No, let's finish this. I- I probably won't be getting any sleep anyway."

Her mother nodded solemnly, then continued with what she knew. She told Linna about the boomer plague and the fall of Tokyo, the worry of not hearing anything from her for weeks, about a final battle at Genom tower, about Linna's disappearance and apparent capture, with both women drawing a small understanding from Linna's nightmarish memory. Then of a rescue in space… and then…

"Chicago?" Linna asked, dumbfounded.

"That's what Masaki told me. He said some former Knight Sabers found you in a hospital there and rescued you."

"Chicago!" she repeated.

"Hardly stranger than getting a call from Switzerland saying you were in a hospital there," she joked.

Linna managed a smile herself. "I guess not."

They talked for a few minutes more as Linna tried to absorb as much as she could. For the most part, it seemed like some sort of fairy tale, with no real memories or emotions tied to anything… except for some of the horrific images that were burned into her mind. It was 4 a.m. by the time they finished, and Misa went off to join her sleeping husband in bed, while Linna lay awake in her room, alternating her stares between the ceiling and the background image on the computer.

"Priss…" She wished to know so much more about this person, someone she could write love letters to, someone who had crushed her heart, someone who had abandoned everything she had to rescue Linna in space, someone who may or may not be alive anymore… "… priss…"

* * *

The next morning came, but it brought no new memories. Neither did the next, nor the next. Soon a full week passed with no change. That weekend, the Yamazaki clan had another gathering planned to celebrate fall in Kumamoto. Misa and Hirata planned to attend for the sake of family duty. However, since re-learning about the events around the fountain, Linna wanted no part of it. Misa didn't bother to ask if she would attend. Even Linna's father held no expectations this time around.

Saturday morning rolled around with no further changes in Linna's memory, but a definite change in the weather. Dark clouds to the east shadowed the sun as Misa and Hirata readied themselves that afternoon. Linna decided against her daily walk to the pond, unwilling to get drenched and have to dry off. After her parents left, she stared out of her bedroom window, gloomily watching the sky darken to match her recent moods. Not knowing the origin of the scars on her body was taking a serious toll on Linna.

As she had done so many times during the last few days, she began to imagine what it must have been like to wear that hardsuit, trying to put mental images to the tales her mother had told. She gazed at the computer screen, at the image of the green hardsuit that she had supposedly worn in Tokyo. She tried to picture what it would be like to walk up to the hardsuit, imagined it lying in pieces on a table, ready to put on. "Wait, no! No… I bet it was in two pieces," she began to argue with herself. She tried to visualize the building it had been kept in, the secret lair of the Knight Sabers.

Without warning, a white hot flash blinded Linna, shocking her out of her introspection.

KRABOOOOOM!

The whole house shook from the ferocity of the thunder, sending the confused Linna rolling off her bed and onto the floor. She rubbed her eyes vigorously, trying frantically to clear her vision. Her heart continued to pound, echoing the pounding rain on the roof. Within a few moments, her vision returned, as did her senses. Cautiously, she looked out the window again, her eyes widening at the sudden downpour. _I've never seen it rain that hard before! _

Linna continued to stare out of the window at the display of nature's fury until the sharp shrill of the phone jolted her nerves. Heart racing anew, she ran to the phone and snatched it up. Before she could respond, she recognized that faintly groaning voice as her mom's, and froze in momentary panic.

"… linna… help… get help…"

"Mom? Mom, where are you!"

"… we're just… where…? …a ditch… water… the water…"

"MOM! Where are…?" Linna fought to concentrate as her panic rose out of control. "Wait! You were going to Uncle Yosh's… I think… I think I know where you are! Mom? Mom, can you call the emergency services!"

"… water… it… it's cold…"

"_MOM!_ Mom, can you hear me!"

"… cold…" A short burst of static and then the line went deathly silent.

"Mom? Mom!" The phone shook in her hand, as she tried to will a voice to speak from the other end. But as the seconds passed and only silence answered her, Linna's desperation overwhelmed her. She slammed the phone down and ran to the garage where the second car was kept. Jumping in, she reached for the keys, but found none in the dash… which is where they were kept years ago, Linna realized futilely. She had no idea where they were kept now, if a spare set was even in the house. Her mom probably had the keys in her purse, which lay beside her in the other car.

"Wait, why didn't I just call them myself!" Linna threw open the door of the car, ran back into the house and began fumbling with the phone, struggling to dial for the emergency services. After a few moments, Linna realized there was no dial tone; the storm had taken out the phone lines. She slammed down the phone again and was on the verge of a complete meltdown when at that exact moment, the lights dimmed and winked off as the power went out. _"DAMN IT!" _she screamed furiously. The pounding rain drowned out her agonized echoes as Linna fumbled her way back through the dark house and to the front door. Grabbing a jacket, she threw open the door and leapt down the steps, sprinting towards the road. She didn't get very far.

Lightning flashed in the distance, the glare momentarily illuminating a tall humanoid figure that stood directly in her path. In the unnatural twilight, its orange head glowed a familiar devilish hue. The sight made her forget everything –her parents, the storm, everything - except the boomer about to kill her.

One arm of the shadow reached out to grab her, and in slow motion she tried to pull back, to pull away from her attacker. Her feet wouldn't move though; the excessive rain had turned the front yard into a river of mud, her shoes buried in the muck. The outstretched arm reached closer as Linna screamed and continued to wrench at her feet, finally freeing one of them as she turned back towards the house. However, her other shoe was still stuck and she fell out of it, towards the muddy ground. Reflexively, she flailed with her arms and felt the power-augmented grip close on her wrist.

The human kicked and pulled, trying to free her arm, but the boomer held fast. She searched the ground nearby for anything she could use as a weapon, but nothing was in reach. She finally stopped, sucking in ragged breaths, head turned away from the boomer, and waited for the monster to finish her off. When the end didn't come, she opened one eye, looking through her own rain-drenched hair at the silent, motionless figure standing before her. "What? What are you waiting for? Just get it over with already!"

So it did. The boomer let go of her hand and split itself in half vertically, in front of her.

"What the hell… wait a minute…" A memory resurfaced in her mind, a memory that seemed too recent… of an almost identical situation. "A pier? What!" She shook her head to clear the confusion before another rolling blast of thunder brought her back to the present. She instantly remembered her parents and the phone call. Staring at the boomer… "No… Hardsuit!"… she dove into the armor without hesitation.

The metal liquefied at the edges and closed up around her. A blast of cold, dry air flowed around her skin, drying off the inside of the hardsuit before the seals formed. For a second, all she could see was the small window of the visor in front of her. Lights flashed in front of her and the hardsuit displayed various familiar status symbols before her. She began to relax, until she tried to move her arms. They wouldn't budge, and neither would her legs. Something was still missing.

A warning message illuminated the display.

_Neural Interface Offline…_

… _attempting reconfiguration in thirty seconds…_

"We don't have thirty seconds! My Mom and Dad are in trouble right now!" she yelled desperately.

The hardsuit appeared to recognize her concerns; it took a step to the right, crouched, and launched itself into the windswept sky with a blast from reversed thrusters. Linna was caught off guard and nearly vomited into the helmet until the acceleration forces subsided a few moments later. Crosshairs appeared on the helmet, scanning the trees and the landscape below. Before she had a chance to ask, the crosshairs flashed and froze in place on a country road in the distance. An image magnified next to the crosshairs showing a car lying on its side in the ditch by the road. It was mostly submerged, but Linna instantly recognized it.

"That's Dad's car! How did you know to do that?"

The hardsuit didn't provide that answer; another message appeared instead.

_Time to target: 25 seconds… initiating reconfiguration…_

"Reconwhat? Unnnhhh…." A mind-numbing pain ripped through Linna's head as the hardsuit's thrusters suddenly grew quiet. The display flickered a couple of times, not that Linna could tell since her eyes were crossed in agony, then more messages filled up the virtual screen.

_Interface Error… compensating… Mismatch error confirmed… compensating…_

The pain diminished somewhat in Linna's mind, replaced with a constant buzzing sound. She refocused her eyes, her parents car growing ever closer, then another blinding flash exploded in her line of vision. This time, however, it wasn't lightning striking outside the hardsuit… _it was mental lightning striking inside her memory…_

_... compensating... compensating… physical attributes subroutine execute… subject confirmed..._

Instantly hundreds of images, emotions, sounds, scents, thousands of memories all flooded her consciousness… running after a motorcycle, fleeing from a boomer, riding down a long elevator, a simulator test, three women: Sylia, Nene, and _Priss_…

_Augmentation: execute… error… compensating… online… Gyro system stabilization: execute…_

… testing out a hardsuit, a call to battle, following Nene out, almost getting killed, Priss yelling, apologies, another battle, falling, out of power, Priss hurt, Sylia saving everyone…

_… defense system synchronization enabled… error… error…Type mismatch… override… online…_

… crushing her first core, meeting Priss at her trailer, going back home, meeting Masaki, a call from Nene, Priss in trouble, saving her in Tokyo again. The accident…

_…error… subroutine crash… failure… Reinitialize backup routine… success… online… online… error… online…_

… waking in a hospital, Nene visiting, then Priss, falling out of bed, being caught by Priss, a brief kiss, parents at the hospital, learning the truth: no kids, infertile. Retreating back home again…

_… 20 seconds to target… error… Targeting system online… error… Type mismatch… Logic fault… override… override… error…_

… depression, confusion, e-mails, loneliness, Masaki, the fountain, another kiss, then Priss, a fight, damning words, no love, sadness, loss, parents fighting, accusations, guilt…

_… fault tree override… subroutine crash… backup system engaged… reinitialize… 15 seconds to target…_

… pleas for help from Nene, back to Tokyo, at the Silky Doll, Priss again, arguments, a fight, revelations, Genom, the earthquake, searching underground, cold, bitter, sneak attack, trapped, helpless, hopeless, Priss…

_…secondary power system activate… synchronizing… online… online… fault… critical system stop… error… override… override…_

… Nene's rescue, searching, Galatea found, Priss, Sylia, Mackey, everyone there, the boomer god released, hardsuits frozen, then realizations, Priss controlled by Galatea, freeing her, apologizing, then Leon, and Priss was gone…

_… Critical system override… Auxiliary system fault… error… 10 seconds to target… online… online… override… online…_

… listless, lost, no hardsuits, then a club, meeting a girl, Ginger, a boomer assault, saving Ginger, hiding out, finding love, betrayal, bitterness, then another boomer attack, running away, then safety, buses, numbers, goodbyes, tears, then another attack, death, destruction, murder, Ginger's death…

_… weapons systems activated… initiation sequence commenced… online… online… telemetry systems synchronized…_

… revenge, slaughtering boomers by the dozen, then Priss again, another kiss, then hurried out, another boomer attack, saved by Priss, denial, betrayal, new hardsuits, new links, heartbreak, boomers taking over everything, a park, alcohol, sadness, depression, desperation, _Galatea_…

_… System override… Command function enabled… override… override… Critical link failure… Backup system offline… auxiliary system offline… error… reinitialize… error… error..._

… seduction, confusion, lust, Priss in bed, Priss dressed, another kiss, a slap, accusations, a final assault, where was everyone, flying over to the Genom tower, loss of control, no power, trapped, used, Galatea again…

_… emergency link protocol activated… override… command system override… Processor failure… Neuro-network collapse… error… error… override… 5 seconds to target… error… collision alert… error…_

… held in the tower, guinea pig, the modified hardsuit, the outstretched hand, searing pain, blackness, darkness, an arena, rage, jealousy, Priss, a battle, **_she killed Ginger!_**, lies, more lies, revenge, torture, agony, bones breaking, tendons tearing, blood splattering, a blade in her gut, fading, falling, a song, a touch, revelations, forgiveness, acceptance, love, a kiss, then silence, loneliness, cold, calm death…

_…Emergency ejection system enabled… error… overr… error… Total system failure… impact… error…_

The hardsuit plummeted from the sky, plowing into the road and gouging a large trench out of the pavement. It split open, spilling the traumatized human onto the rain-covered road.

Linna rolled to a stop on her side, her mind clouded by the reacquired memories, focusing only on the last image that had touched her consciousness. Priss, lying dead in her arms, blue hardsuit stained red from her own blood…

Another fork of lighting illuminated the battered side of her parents' car, bringing Linna back to the present. She stood but nearly fell over, her head still spinning from her abrupt departure from the hardsuit. The power armor lay motionless in the road, succumbing to technical problems. She stumbled towards the car and saw her parents inside, their heads just above the rising waters. She grabbed the door handle and pulled… but it wouldn't open. The car was dented in every corner, as though it had rolled over, but the windows were still intact. Pounding on the window, Linna called to her mother inside. She didn't respond. Neither did her father.

Desperation seized her heart again as she pounded and pounded on the glass. She frantically began clawing around the top of the embankment, searching for something to break the glass with. Finally, she found a rock bigger than her hand. She held it with both hands high above the window, steeling herself to smash it with the rock. Before she could break it, a green streak shot past her and onto the car door. With the screech of metal tearing, the hardsuit ripped the car door from its hinges and threw it across the road. Momentarily startled, Linna refocused in time to climb inside the opening and attempt to pull her mom out, but she couldn't move her from such an awkward position. "She's too heavy!"

Without hesitation, the hardsuit reached beneath the car, grabbed the frame and hauled the entire vehicle out of the ditch. Muddy water poured out of the open door, and both Misa and Hirata tumbled out with it. Linna threw the rock back in the ditch and somehow managed to catch both of her parents from the unnatural waterfall and lay them down on the side of the road. She tended to her father first as he started to cough up water and suck in air.

"Dad? Are you okay? Is anything broken?" she pleaded, noting numerous small cuts and bruises but no other obvious injuries.

Hirata rolled himself onto his side, still coughing up water but searching for the only thing he wanted to see right then. "… i'm fine… is- is Misa alright? Check on her, Linna!" he pleaded weakly, finally spotting her still body lying a couple of meters away.

"Okay…" Linna wavered, before crawling over to her mother. Misa had a nasty bruise and cut on the right side of her head, which explained her dazed voice on the phone. She took her mother's cold, wet hand and felt for a pulse. "Mom? Mom! Can you hear me? Please! _Mom!_" Linna began to squeeze the hand when suddenly, it gripped back and her mom began choking and coughing up water.

"She's alive! She's okay!" Linna yelled over her shoulder at her father.

"… thank god… it- it's all my fault… I should've seen the water… ponding in the road… it's flooded before…"

"Dad! It's okay now! It… it's not anybody's fault," Linna chided him as she cradled her mother's head in her lap, letting her recover. "Mom, are… are you alright? Is anything broken?"

Through the falling rain, her mother looked up into Linna's face and briefly smiled, shaking her head from side to side. "… n… no… i… 'm ok…"

Linna noticed the phone still clutched in Misa's other hand. Gently she took the phone, flipped the lid and, to her amazement, found it still worked. She dialed the numbers for the emergency services and held the phone to her ear for a moment, until she heard her father's voice cry out in fear.

"Dear God! What's that!"

She whirled her head around and saw him still lying on the ground, staring at the remains of their car and the boomer still holding it off the ground. Linna realized that the hardsuit was probably waiting for her instructions, for it hadn't moved since lifting the vehicle skyward. Momentarily distracted, she lifted the phone back to her ear, only to hear silence again. She stared at the screen as it registered a four second call; she knew that she had gotten through. Then she noticed where her thumb was. _Damn, I hung up the connection myself… _Making a note to call them right back, she decided to deal with one problem right away. "Just put the car over there." She pointed to the side of the road that wasn't filled with a raging river.

The hardsuit silently obeyed her directions, walking with the car still held high above its orange visor towards the spot Linna had indicated.

"What… what is that thing?" her father stammered out.

"It's my hardsuit," Linna answered, although she had no idea how it had reached her house, and that fact raised several new questions in her own mind.

Hirata blinked hard, still unable to believe what he was seeing. He was unaccustomed to the sight of boomers in this part of the country, especially since the disaster in Tokyo. Vainly trying to wipe the rain from his face, he looked back over at his wife and daughter, turning his back on the hardsuit, and began carefully crawling over to them. "Did you call for the…"

Linna turned her head as her father began to speak, and thus had a spectacular view of the lightning strike right behind him. The lightning blasted straight through the roof of the car, into the metal framework, through the hardsuit's hands, down its arms and torso, through the legs and into the ground below.

The force of the air blast tossed the three humans several meters backwards, almost into the flooded ditch again. Once again, Linna was blinded, and deafened too; her mother and father were no better off. After a couple of minutes, the sound of hissing rain registered on her eardrums as the blind spots in her eyes began to clear. The first thing she saw was her mother, sitting on the ground and supported in her father's arms as he knelt beside his wife. Linna stood up shakily, her soaking clothes feeling like lead weights on her body. She glanced back in the direction of the car; it stood upright on the road in a spreading puddle of metallic gray ooze. Linna knew that ooze was the remains of her hardsuit. Although saddened, a small part of her felt relieved that one more connection to Galatea was forever broken now.

Along with that thought though came another realization: the last memory she had recovered. In an instant, the weight of everything crashed down on her. She fell to her knees and began sobbing in the middle of the country road, as the rain poured from the blackened skies. She was so distraught that, despite the car accident, her injured mother and father crawled over to desperately try and comfort her. Linna wept in their arms, repeating the same words over and over…

_"I killed her… I killed her… I killed her…"_

* * *

_Summary from the official police report at the scene:_

"Emergency services arrived at the scene within minutes of the phone call being registered. The event was noted to be a single vehicle accident with three minor injuries. Hirata Yamazaki was the driver of the vehicle. The cause of the crash was deemed to be a sinkhole in the pavement, likely formed from flooding in the area. The vehicle was towed away. All fluids that leaked from the vehicle were noted as having been washed away by the heavy rains. No significant environmental impact noted from the crash. The three persons involved were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated and released into the care of relatives. No one was charged in the accident."

* * *

Much later that night, after washing down some sleeping pills with a couple of glasses of sake, Linna finally settled into a troubled sleep. Her mother was in no shape to stay up and talk, so all Linna had said was that she remembered something about the events in space… and that she had killed Priss. Although Linna knew her mother was horrified by that statement, she stubbornly refused to talk about it until they had all had some rest.

Linna's dreams were filled with freshly restored memories. A few were happy, some were frightening, but most were filled with grief-stricken visions of Priss dying in her arms… until the dream continued with an angel visiting Linna in space, an angel dressed in a blue hardsuit. In that dream, the angel freed her from the bonds that held her captive, and they flew together to fight against the growing evil. The battle raged as the green and blue hardsuits fought side by side, protecting each other as they broke through layers of the villain threatening all. Finally they reached the core and together they struck in one final assault. As the final blow connected with the enemy, everything around them dissolved into a pillar of light…

… and Linna snapped awake, eyes brimming, heart leaping out of her chest before she realized it was just a dream. Or was it? The more the dream lingered, the more she realized… no, remembered! "Priss is alive… _**Priss is alive!**" _She jumped out of bed and ran out of her room. She was halfway to her mother's room when she realized everything was still dark. She glanced inside the kitchen and spotted the clock on the counter.

4:24 a.m.

She sighed deeply, then turned around and walked briskly back to her room. She was far too excited to go back to sleep. She had to tell someone, anyone. It only took a second, but Linna realized exactly whom she could call. She fumbled with the papers that Masaki had left, searching for the number.

Nene yawned as she thought about her dinner plans with Leon. They were anything but romantic; the last couple of times had been downright depressing since his accusations that Linna was a Galatea clone. She glanced over at her workaholic partners still plowing through the numerous proposals on the table and thought about skipping out on Leon tonight. _I don't really want to talk with him about Priss again. _

She was about to call Leon and cancel when the phone rang. She answered, and the voice on the other end couldn't have shocked her more. "Linna? You remember me!"

Almost an hour later, she finally hung up with a wry smile on her face. Jill and Katsumi couldn't help but notice. They didn't have to ask why. Nene started talking at the speed of light, before Jill finally slowed her down enough to understand what the heck she was talking about. Thirty minutes later, Nene had relayed as much as she knew, amazing Jill and Katsumi with the tale. Of course they had one more question to ask, and Jill took the honors. "So, if Priss was still alive in space, where is she now?"

"Linna's not sure. She feels really strongly about it though. She wants to go look for her right now. And… uh oh… I'm late!" she screamed, catching sight of the clock.

Katsumi was curious enough to bite. "Late for what?"

"Dinner with Leon. He'll kill me if I don't show, and he finds out about Priss..."

* * *

Two days later at her home, Linna said her goodbyes to her mother and father. Prepared with a minimal bag of clothes, some money, and her vague knowledge, she was determined to find Priss. Linna gave her mom one final kiss when the sound of a car's engine caught her attention. "Must be my ride to the train station," she announced. Tears welled up in Misa's eyes and Linna shed a few tears too as she hugged her mother one last time. The doorbell rang, drawing them apart.

Hirata walked to the door and opened it for the taxi-driver, money in hand to cover her daughter's fare. The man on the other side wasn't a taxi-driver; Linna instantly recognized him.

"Leon!"

"I heard you were going to look for Priss," he stated matter-of-factly.

She nodded, still in shock.

"Sounds like something that could be tough for one person to do all by herself. I'm used to taking on tough jobs with a partner," he said, a hint of a smile crossing his face.

Linna thought about it for a tense moment, before recognizing just how much help he could offer. _Ultimately, _she realized, _we both want the same thing. We both want to find Priss alive and well. _"That sounds like a very reasonable offer," she replied, bowing slightly.

Leon bowed in turn, bowing to her mother and father as well. "Then let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover if we're going to find her."

"We **will** find her," Linna corrected, still firmly believing that the images in her dreams and her vague memories would lead them to wherever Priss had landed.

_To be continued…_


	16. Ch 15: Someday

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 15 – "Someday"

* * *

Thick fog rolled past the full-wall window, obscuring the view of London Tower and the Thames beneath Genom Tower Europe. However, Acting Chairman Hollis of Genom was blanketed with another problem. Staring at his feet with his forehead pressed hard into the safety glass, he wondered where the company's stock might finally bottom out after the continual fallout from Tokyo's boomer plague. The shareholders' confidence continued to sag day after day, week after week as the investigations dragged out. Despite exhaustive efforts into the matter, it seemed to Hollis that all of the answers left with the Tokyo Genom tower when it floated away into outer space.

"…damn you Rosenkrueiz… damn you…" the acting chairman sweared under his breath. Clinching his aching fist, he swiveled around from the window back to his executive desk, flipping open the latest summary report from the European research team. Leafing through the folder for the fifth time since the morning briefing, he stopped on the only remotely promising lead they still had. Even though he had almost memorized the few paragraphs on the subject, Hollis was nearly left grasping for straws at this point. Pushing the intercom button on the phone, he growled into the speaker. "Nancy, get Forney on the line now."

"Yes sir," the com answered back. A few impatient moments later, the speaker crackled back to life. "He's on vid-1 sir."

"Thank you." The screen flickered on, filled with the face of another elder male in a white lab coat. "How did the test go?" Hollis blurted out, cutting off the formalities.

The man on the other end let out a wry smile, raising his spectacles just a hair off his nose. "It looks like that canister your extraction team dug out of the Wizlab was the key after all Hollis."

The chair banged hard into the window as the Acting Chairman shot out of his chair. "Tell me your not joking! You were able to get a positive signal for the phenomenon this time?"

"Absolutely. In fact, now that the instrument's been calibrated, we're getting hits all over the city."

"That's… what? All over the city!? But that's…"

"… not impossible. And I've already got the answer to your next question." The smug white-coated man pulled out a datapad, plugging into the computer on his end. "Here, look at the map."

A large map of London appeared on Hollis' screen, filled with numerous green splotches. Then, an overlay of a yellow grid appeared on the screen, with numerous yellow lines intersecting with the green splotches. "What is this?"

"It's the power grid."

Hollis' mind turned over the facts, putting the pieces into place. "So how stable is the grid right now?"

"Very. We've had a few ideas why, but before we could check any of those out our monitoring team had already bettered it finding by this."

The screen in front of Hollis was replaced with a satellite view of western India. A topographical outline winked on next, followed by a very bright and focused green dot on top of a very large mountain. "My god… how strong is that!?"

"We think its strong enough to be the real thing."

"The real… you don't mean…"

"Yes. It could be the Sotai."

The acting chairman nearly fell backwards onto the floor, only catching himself at the last second. He reached back and pulled the chair back under him, taking a seat as he assessed the current situation. His lips thinned out as he folded his tense hands under his chin. "We have to know for sure."

"I've already sent a team to the area. We'll know more in two hours."

A hint of a smile began to creep across Hollis' face. For the first time in months, he saw a light at the end of this tunnel the company lay trapped in. He stared into the screen, mesmerized by the greenish hue of that light.

* * *

The spring of 2041 brought color back to the hills of Kumamoto. The trees bloomed, the birds sang, the rivers swelled with sparkling snowcap runoff. However, the signs of new life couldn't penetrate the growing despair settling over the Yamazaki household.

Six months had passed since Linna's departure. At first, she had contacted her mother and father often and with tales of promising leads. Then as winter grew longer, so did the time between her calls, with less and less positive news each time. As Misa tolled in the garden out front, she reflected back a month ago, the last call they had received from Linna. All her other leads had dried and she was headed deep into the jungles of southern Asia. She wasn't sure when she would be able to call again but she had told her mother not to worry.

Now, with a long month of worry behind her, Misa planted the last of her annuals into the flower bed, hoping that their bloom might lure home her child and that she might finally come home to root for a time. She rocked back on her legs and stretched her aching back muscles, flexing her sore elbows and wrists as well. A bead of sweat trickled down her wrinkled forehead, but it was quickly wiped away with a forearm before it could invade her dark circled eyes.

Misa's head tilted toward the sky. Puffy, lazy clouds gently rolled over the mountainous peaks from the West. In her youth she recalled picturing animals, flowers and fish in those same clouds. Now, she only wished for one of those clouds to become an airborne ship, ferrying her little princess back home. She let out a grunt, trying to stand on two aching knees, but finally relented by gripping the porch railing behind her for added support. She removed her gardening gloves and set them back into the wicker basket, along with the dirt caked trowel. Brushing off her apron, Misa took one more glance at her handiwork, a slight smile of accomplishment crossing her face. But just as quickly as the smile formed, it faded under the reality of what Misa really wanted.

"Someday", she encouraged her plants and herself. "Someday you'll bloom, just as someday Linna has to come home." Misa trudged up the short steps of her porch, slipped out of her shoes and walked to the kitchen to wash off. No sooner had she finished cleaning up as she remembered something outside. "Ah, I forgot the basket!"

Quickly walking back to the door, Misa had her head turned down as she slid it open. Just as she was about to take a step through the door, her feet froze in place because of what her down-turned eyes spied just on the other side coupled with a very pungent odor. Unfamiliar mud caked sneakers pointed towards her, their worn exterior filled on the inside with ripped, dirty socks. Those socks were in turn worn below faded jeans with a patch on one side and a jagged hole on the other. As Misa's eyes rose so did her heart, even as they passed over the loose fitting wasteband of the pants, the ragged bottom of a tie-dyed shirt, torn on one side, up the dirty length of the female form to a hand gripping something worn around the pale neck… the neck supporting the face of the one person she wanted to see more than anyone else on the planet. "Linna!!!"

Misa dived into her daughter despite the cloud of stench enveloping her, giving her a huge hug, which was warmly returned by a cracked, dry voice.

"Glad to see you too mom."

But the tone in her daughter's voice seemed too shallow for Misa not to notice. She relaxed the hug and attempted to take a step back to get a better look. But as she moved back, something sharp caught the front of her shirt. "Oh, I'm sorry," Misa apologized, looking down to find a strange metal trinket snagged on her even as it was still attached to a silver necklace worn by Linna. She carefully removed the oddly shaped metal object, noting the deep blue base color even through curious crimson stains on both sides of it.

Linna held out a shaking hand, her nervous eyes darting back and forth between the object and her mother's face.

Though growing more worried by her actions, Misa nevertheless quickly handed the trinket back to Linna. Misa watched in fascination as Linna's hand returned to her chest, still cradling the object even though it still seemed to be securely held by the chain. She looked up into the worn violet eyes of her daughter and saw the lingering despair still weighing heavily on her soul. Her face was sunken in, dirty. Her hair was disheveled and appeared matted on one side.

"Oh honey," Misa sighed, her heart reaching out to Linna because she now realized why she looked and sounded the way she did, and the probable implications of the blue trinket as well. "You didn't find her, did you?"

Linna opened her mouth to speak, and yet only silence came forth. She hung her head and grumbled as her right fist balled up and turned white, beginning to shake at her chest. Drops of blood began to trickle through her clinched fist, some further staining her shirt, others splashing onto the shoes and doormat.

Misa's eyes flared in horror. "Linna! Please, you've… you…" The words wouldn't come easily, but she managed to place a firm hand on Linna's wrist, using just enough pressure to let her daughter know to let go. "Come on, let's get you inside and get you cleaned up. And we have to call your father and let him know your home." Misa tugged on her wrist and led Linna to the bathroom. She started the shower and turned back to the still silent Linna. "Lets take a look at your hand while the water warms up."

"Okay," she weakly agreed, allowing her mother to hold her hand up while opening her palm.

"… oh my god…" Misa was nearly floored by the multitude of infected cuts and jagged scars she found. She carefully inspected the once delicate hand, then looked up at the ragged pendant and realized this was far from the first time Linna had done this. The troubled mother began to wonder why until the color jogged her memory, her eyes immediately flashing towards her daughter's face. "Linna, where did you get that?" she asked, pointing towards the trinket.

The younger woman blankly gazed down at it and spoke as if just remembering she had an extra arm attached to her. "Oh, that. It's… its part of Priss' hardsuit. We found it in the jungles a month ago," she whispered.

"You found it?"

"Just the hardsuit. There was…" She paused, choking back old tears. "… no trace of her body."

Misa could only nod her understanding while trying to gage the depth of her daughter's pain. Worse yet, Misa could tell that Linna still blamed herself. "Come on honey, get undressed and clean up. We'll get you some fresh clothes and take care of dressing up your hand, okay?"

"Okay," Linna answered, still remaining emotionally detached.

Misa stepped on the other side of the door, closing it to give her daughter some privacy. She waited on the other side until she heard the shower stall close. Knocking to be sure, Misa waited but received no protest in return, so she slid open the door again, peeking inside just to be safe. Only a worn out pile of filthy clothes waited outside the now occupied shower. She shuffled in, held her breath and quickly scooped up the rags, scurrying for the trash as fast as she could. After disposing of the clothes, Misa's mind spun with all the motherly tasks she was now needed for. Calling her husband, making lunch, getting new clothes for Linna, telling the rest of the family… so many things to do and so little time…

By contrast, the woman standing under the purifying shower spray had all the time in the world, but only one thing occupied her mind. "… Priss…" Even now, she gripped the artifact with her right fist tightly enough that fresh blood dripped into the swirling drain, staining the clear liquid with her despair.

A small part of her still longed to dive back into the jungles where she had recovered the shard from the hardsuit. However, already a month of searching the site and surrounding area for any sign of her missing teammate cemented the dark reality in the rest of Linna's broken heart. Leon's last words echoed inside the most painful parts of her memory.

"She's gone Linna! She's dead and she's not coming back!"

"You don't know that for sure!"

An image of Leon flashed in the back of her mind, still standing over the remains of the infested hardsuit, pointing at it with damning conviction in his voice. "Look at the suit Linna! Even if she was somehow still alive before it hit the ground, she wouldn't have survived the impact!"

"But what if she did??"

"Look around!" he screamed, waving his arms at the dense canopy of jungle surrounding them. "She wouldn't have made it far in this anyway!"

"So why haven't we found any sign of her then?!?"

"Damnit! Her bones could be scattered a hundred kilos from here by now! Do you have any idea how hard it is to locate a body in a civilized place like Tokyo?!? No you don't!! I'm telling you we're never going to find her in here… alive or dead!!!"

"So what are you going to do then? Just quit?!?"

In her memory, just as it had happened a month ago, Leon's head bowed, his eyes flashing over at the metal pile of scrap that had been Priss' hardsuit. His mouth opened, then closed again, his face grimacing with the truth.

"You… you're giving up?" Linna repeated in disbelief. She honestly couldn't fathom the possibility that he would actually stop without knowing the truth for sure.

Leon looked up into Linna's despondent eyes and winced. "I suppose you'll want to keep looking even if I go, right?"

Linna knew the answer but was still too shocked to say it out loud or even protest any longer. All she could do was watch as Leon turned his back to her and trudged down the path they had forged together. It had taken three more weeks of fruitless searching for Linna to begin to finally admit the same conclusion as Leon. Even then, her heart still questioned the dark answer. _ How can you I give up on Priss in a damn jungle when she went as far as outer space for me?!? _ But finally out of food, money, friends, and even hope, she left the jungles behind and drifted back towards home.

The only things she brought back with her were memories and a piece of the hardsuit. There was still the matter of the mothballed trailer in MegaTokyo, however that held too many reminders for Linna at the moment. She finally released the dangling blue steel and inhaled deeply, the steamy air just barely scratching the surface of healing. Linna poured a little shampoo into her left hand and began to massage her head and scalp. She winced as the chemicals burned into the cuts on her right hand, but continued to wash away the mounds of dirt and grime collected in her hair. Besides, no matter the depth of the sting they caused, it would always pale in comparison to the gouges torn from the remains of her inner soul.

"Linna, honey, I've got some clean clothes for you here," her mother's voice broke into her hellish introspections.

"Thanks mom," she answered sincerely.

Misa smiled as she left the bathroom, but frowned as a god-awful smell permeated throughout the rest of the house. She followed the wafting scent to the garbage and instantly realized the source. She collected the garbage and took it out to the compactor. Opening the lid, she disposed of the bag, passing my the infrequently used and ancient air conditioning unit… strangely contrasted by a sparkling, clean black colored cube situated next to the AC, adjacent to the house. That cube tied into the house's electrical system, supplying power in lieu of the usual electricity grid now full of excess capacity throughout Japan… and the rest of the world for that matter. This particular cube was emblazoned with pulsing greenish letters on one side… "T.E.P. Advanced Home Power Generation Unit. © 2041 Mfg. By Universal Light & Electric. SN# 41-1-1250A-691"

* * *

A few thousand miles to the West of the Yamazaki house, a small city was lit up with those 'black boxes' next to every building. Most in the city sang the praises of the magical technology that seemed to create electricity out of thin air. A few people presently in the city weren't as convinced that this new source of power was as perfect as the experts claimed. They demonstrated against what they considered to be reckless development of another unknown natural resource, in fact only discovered and developed in the last six months.

However, one person in this particular city wasn't singing the praises nor protesting its use. This young woman was in no state to do either. She staggered helplessly from building to building, clutching her head as she stumbled into an alleyway. Wearing only a baggy jumpsuit, she leaned against a dumpster for support as waves of nausea crashed through her body. This nausea wasn't from a physical source however…

Hands trembling, they combed through her frayed blond hair as a wave subsided, the cries of pain dying down in her mind. "Please, where are you?" the woman pleaded with her eyes still closed. "Where are you? Why can't I find you? Where have you gone?"

Just down the alley from the woman, one of the new power generators quietly hummed away. Usually steady, occasional 'fluctuations' in the energy sucked from the surrounding air would cause them to glow momentarily brighter, as this one began to do just then.

The woman's eyelids flared open, burning crimson eyes searched the darkness of the alley until they fell onto the generator. "No… NO!!!" She stood upright and took one step before doubling over, clutching her head in obvious agony. "Arghhh!! Stop it! Make it stop!" She stumbled upright and staggered towards the black cube even as the green glow brightened from the transparent lettering and thin edges on the bottom of the frame. The blond bounced off of both walls, weaving unsteadily but still slowly progressing towards the cube. "Please… make… it… STOP!!!"

With one leap, the woman sprawled onto the top of the cube and gripped the sides. Her body quaked as waves of pain rippled through her body from the contact.

The cube glowed even brighter, illuminating every crack and imperfection in the housing. Her teeth clenched, the woman still held onto the generator despite the agony. Finally twin arcs sparked from the cube, caressing the female form lying across its top as the glowing heat burned holes in either side of the black housing. The sparks lasted but a brief few seconds, then died off, the generator falling completely dark.

To the side, automatic devices switched, feeding power into the building from the underused electrical grid. Meanwhile, the woman lay her cheek onto the cube's surface, tears flowing down her face. "Don't leave me…don't leave me…" Another wave began to build inside of the tortured woman, causing her to stumble off of the burned out generator and against the wall of the alley. Her crimson eyes focused out of the alley and into the lit roadway. There, a mass of humans began to march by, holding signs and shouting loudly in several different languages. Unaware of the nature of the protest, she nevertheless wandered out of the alley and towards the demonstration.

As she passed through the first few waves of people, the pain suddenly crippled her body again. She nearly fell over, but somehow stayed on her feet despite the nauseating throbbing in her head. Thus distracted, she didn't notice the parting of the gathered masses, allowing an oversized electrically powered bus through the street, nor the shouts of those around her warning her to move out of the way. All she knew was the source of that pain seemed to come from the back of that bus… and that she had to get to that source, the new source of power to the 'environmentally friendly' bus.

A few of the protestors pounded on the sides of the bus, shouting obscenities as it plowed its way through the unwelcome demonstration. The driver was under strict orders not to deviate from his schedules, and the local government didn't consider the foreign protestors to have any right to inhibit public transportation… including the right to physically block it with their bodies. As such, he accelerated, trying to keep to schedule and keep his own minimum wage job.

In the false-lit street ahead the protestors moved from his path… except for one woman apparently not willing to listen to the edicts of his country. Her loss he thought, bearing down on her prone body standing in the middle of the road.

The woman looked up at the speeding bus with her crimson eyes even as the pain grew exponentially forcing her hands to either side of her head. She stared death in the face, even as she was unaware as to its true meaning… until a jarring cross body tackle threw her to the side of the road just milliseconds before the bus could run her down, its blaring horn leaving them in its wake. She fell to the ground, her savior falling beside her. A small crowd gathered around, a few asking questions in languages she didn't understand. As the distance between the speeding bus and herself grew, the pain subsided, allowing the woman to refocus.

The 'savior' rolled over on his side and said something in a language she didn't understand either.

"Nani?" she questioned in her own tongue.

"Oh, Japanese! Are you okay?" the diverse man asked, picking himself up with the help of some people who appeared to be generally concerned for his well being.

"Y… yes," the woman answered shakily. A foreign sensation washed over her body as her eyes absorbed the tall handsome man now lending an outstretched hand to help her stand up. The reddish color of her cheeks matched the deep hue of her eyes at that moment; their hands intertwining as he easily lifted her slim body up by one arm.

"You've got to be careful around the public transports here. By the way, the name's Joshua. What's yours?"

"My name?" she repeated curiously, almost as if it was the first time she had ever been asked that question before.

"Yeah," he laughed, "You have one, right?" the tall dark-haired man added with a joking smile.

That smile melted the woman's heart, and all she could say was "yes" in return.

A few shouts at the end of the road drew Joshua's attention as he spied another bus stopping along the road. "Hey, it looks like our bus is here for the trip to the Battery." He turned his gaze back to the nameless stranger assumingly. "You're coming for this part of the trip too, right? This is the most important part, y'know," he winked at her.

"Uh, sure," she answered although she wasn't.

"C'mon then, lets hurry up before all the good seats are taken." He slipped his strong fingers through the mystery woman's ones and led her to the herd marching into the bus. As they approached, the single bus turned out to be part of a group of three old, rusty diesel powered dinosaurs. It wasn't as if the woman noticed the condition of the buses, nor did she notice that there was no pain in her head associated with this bus, nor the fact that the protestors previously marching the streets were the only ones getting on the buses. After finding a seat in the bus, the woman was still oblivious to the rest of reality, a reality now hidden by the strange emotions of desire swirling through her heart.

Joshua sat next to her, their eyes meeting for just an instant before the woman blushed hard, hiding her face from him. "So, when did you join the movement? I don't remember seeing you before," he asked.

"The movement?"

"Yeah, y'know, the protest here in the city."

"Protest?"

Joshua now began to wonder just what was going on. "You were here to protest against the reckless use of the new energy source, right? I mean, it's just so irresponsible the way they threw up those cubes at every block here. They just have no idea of the damage they may be causing, don't you think?"

At the mention of the cubes, the woman's mind filled with memories of pain and agony. Each and every one of those cubes screamed murder… and she could hear those screams all too vividly in her mind. "Yes. It…. Its horrible."

Just then, the bus started up and headed towards the open road. As it drove past an intersection, it paused for passing traffic… but stopped next to a glowing cube. Sitting in the aisle seat, Joshua frowned at the site of the cube, but he noticed the woman staring at the cube, her body shaking, trembling. Suddenly, she gripped her head, wincing in what appeared to be pain… and he recalled that same look on her face as the homicidal bus had almost run her down. Her lips quivered, nervous words spilling from them.

"Stop, please… make it stop."

She turned her crimson eyes into his dark brown ones with a pleading helplessness blanketing her soul.

Immediately Joshua reached over and embraced the young woman, trying to cradle her from her fears. "It's okay, it's going to be okay. Someday we'll stop this madness."

The buses engine revved up and pulled away from the intersection as traffic began to pull ahead. The woman's shaking subsided, and she settled into Joshua's arms, resting her blond head on his shoulder.

He held her tight, but wondered much of the woman now in his arms. He then recalled the first question he still hadn't received an answer to. "Hey, what is your name anyway?"

The woman tensed slightly and paused, almost in thought. Finally, her eyes seemed to flash as she did answer his question. "My name is Priss, Priss Asagiri."

"Priss? Well, I'm glad to meet you."

Priss smiled at him, her crimson eyes shining brightly as she settled back into Joshua's arms, a strange sense of serene peace falling over her. From within, a melody began to resonate, matching its slow steady beat with the thumping of Joshua's heart. Softly, she began humming chords that flowed with the melody. A few moments later words joined in with the chords, and Priss found herself gently singing to Joshua, without much of an idea of what she was doing, or why she was doing it at all… except all she knew was that it seemed to flow from an inner part of her that she hadn't noticed before. For Priss, that was more than enough to make her actually feel… _happy_… right now.

* * *

The screen on Hollis' desk flashed, notifying him of an incoming signal. A second later the speaker in the room crackled to life with the voice of his OA.

"Sir, it's Mr. Forney from the lab."

"I've got it Nancy," he replied, keying the receiver. Forney's face appeared on the screen, but the look on it wasn't nearly as confident as Hollis needed it to be. "What have you got?"

"It's just a shell sir. We found one operational boomer, heavily infected, and some other lab equipment."

"That's all? So was the boomer giving off that signal?" Hollis asked, not masking his disappointment very well.

"We're still analyzing that. The boomer had fused with most of the observatory, so it's difficult to say if it was the true source we saw or if something else was causing it."

"But if the boomer was all you found…"

"Not all of the equipment at the observatory appears to belong there sir. Some of its nearly unrecognizable now since the structure was so heavily melded, but there are signs that something else was going on."

Despite the scientist's careful evaluations, other forces drove the acting chairman. "How long before we get a definite answer?"

"It could be weeks before we know for sure."

"That's not good enough. You've got five days Forney."

"I thought you might try that tact," the elder man replied with a smile. "In that case, I'll need authorization for another group to be dispatched to Germany. We'll need to evaluate the impact of this new facility the EU is commissioning."

"You want to send a team to the Battery Complex?" Hollis guessed.

"Yes sir. With a concentration of energy that massive, over 5 Gigawatts, about to come online, we should be able to answer most of your questions within a few minutes of startup."

"A few minutes!?" the Acting Chairman's eyes brimmed with possibilities. "When are they turning the switch?"

"Our security team suspects 36 hours sir."

"You've got permission to dispatch your team. And Forney," Hollis requested his attention.

"Yes?"

Visions of financial glory, rising stock prices and official status of Chairman danced in his head. "I'll meet them at the Battery myself."

_To be continued…_


	17. Ch 16: A Piece of Memory

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 16 – "A Piece of Memory"

* * *

Inside the office of JNK Security Consultants, three employees were working hard to keep up with demand in Switzerland. Their small startup business had received rave reviews for their cyber protection plans in large part thanks to Nene and Katsumi's teamwork. And with Jill's business experience, those reviews were quickly turned into further opportunities, accelerating their growth even more.

Nene was preparing another test hack into a new customers network when the phone beeped at her terminal yet again. She let out a tired sigh as the caller-ID worked on the message. It identified only an "outside long-distance" caller, making Nene a little more receptive to delaying her test and picking up the line, rather than delegating it to the answering service. She tapped on the keyboard and answered. "Gutentag, JNK Security, wie kann ich lhnene helfen?"

The female voice stuttered on the other end. "Err, may I speak with Nene, please?"

"Linna??" the German voice shifted back into the more familiar Japanese.

"Nene? Is that you?"

"Yeah! Of course it's me silly! Oh my God!! How are you?? I haven't heard from you in… wait! Did you find anything about Priss??" Nene finally was silent, holding her breath as well as her tongue.

"Yes, we found something," Linna answered somewhat noncommittal.

"Something?"

"We only found her hardsuit. Nothing else."

"So, but, your going to keep looking then, right?"

"Nene," Linna started to argue, before remembering her own heated confrontations with Leon over the same subject. "Leon stopped looking for her a month ago, right after we found the remains of the hardsuit.

"Oh no."

"And I finally stopped a week ago. We aren't going to find anything left of her."

"Linna, I'm so sorry."

"It… its okay Nene," Linna sniffled on the other end of the line. "But, maybe… maybe it's for the best…" she added weakly.

Nene was instantly furious. "How can you say that??"

"Because of Galatea, Nene. What if Priss had lived? Galatea was just trying to use her body to create another Sotai! The damn thing nearly killed me and it was already dead! Even if Priss was alive, she wouldn't have been for long."

"So… so why did you even go look for her then?" Nene replied, obviously hurting.

"I… I guess I just needed to be sure. I needed closure."

The line was silent for a few moments before Nene softly spoke up from her end. "Did you find it?"

Linna considered her own motives and feelings, searching her own soul for that very elusive answer. "I think I'm still looking Nene," she sniffled, barely holding back the tears.

"I don't blame you Linna. It's hard… hard to let go…"

The way Nene spoke made the self-conscious country girl think broader. "Let go? Wait, is Mackey…" she started to ask, suddenly unsure how to word the difficult question.

Nene's voice fell low. "He's still in a coma. Everyday I visit him at Sylia's house, hoping that he'll be awake when I get there. But everyday he's not. But at least there's still a chance for him… at least he's still alive."

Nene overemphasized the 'he', causing Linna's overtaxed mind to fill with new dread. "Why do you say that? Are Henderson and Nigel okay?"

"Oh Linna, I'm so sorry… I forgot you weren't here then."

"Hear what?"

"Nigel… its been… wow… over two months ago now."

"So, he… he didn't wake up?"

"No, and Sylia, well, I just hope I don't find her dead when I'm visiting with Mackey. She's bad off Linna. I don't think… well, with everything that's happened to her, I'm just worried she's not going to come out of this at all."

"Is there anything I can do to help? We can't just let her waste away like that!"

"Maybe if you could have brought Priss back, but I'm not even sure if that's enough anymore. Henderson has a tough time just talking with her or even getting her to eat anything. She's lost so much weight…"

"That's horrible."

"I know. And the worst part is not knowing any way to help her."

A moment of silence passed across the line before Nene's apologetic voice broke in again. "Oh! I've got another call. Aww, and this is one I've got to take now. I'm so sorry Linna, I've got to go. I'm glad at least you're back home again, Call me anytime, okay?"

"I promise to keep in touch," she agreed before Nene's quick goodbye ended the call, signaling yet another change in Linna's life. For six month she was driven with a definite purpose. Now, however, she thought of the busy and occupied Nene, already moving on with her new life in the cyber security business, and how it contrasted with her own life, now returned to its listless direction much as it was one year ago… before she had left for Tokyo to try and join the Knight Sabers.

* * *

The crowd filed out of the bus as the confused and tired Priss looked on, rubbing the sleep from her crimson eyes. "Where's everyone going?" she asked her male companion.

"We're at the German border. We have to go see the guards now."

"Huh?"

Joshua was too busy standing up to notice the questioning look in Priss' eyes. He stood into the aisle and turned back towards her. "After you."

Priss blushed at his politeness and gently flowed into the aisle and into the flowing crowd just ahead of him. It flowed out of the bus and into a single file line before a few border officers. "What do we do now?" she asked Joshua.

The man standing behind her in line confidently smiled at her. "All you have to do is get your handprint scanned. No hassles getting into Germany."

"Oh," she answered, not as sure about it as the man was.

Unable to see around a tall man in front of her, Priss was caught by surprise when that man pulled something out of his back pocket, showing it to someone in front of him. He replaced the object after a few seconds and moved back to the bus, leaving Priss face to face with a female border officer.

"Hand, bitte," she rudely demanded, thrusting out a pad with an outline of a hand on it.

"What?" Priss asked, looking back at Joshua for help.

He nodded in the direction of the pad. "Just put your hand there," he encouraged.

Flashing a nervous smile back at him, Priss turned back around and carefully matched the shape of her hand into the pad.

The pad flashed an orange color three times… and then suddenly stopped as a bright red color drawing the guard's ire. She scoffed with a deep frown. "Zeigen sie mir ihre ID!"

Priss gave a confused and worried look back at Joshua again.

"I… I don't understand. Just… she wants to see your papers. You have them, right?"

"Papers?"

The guard caught onto the indecisiveness. She reached over and grabbed Priss' wrist, pulling her towards the nearest of the four guard shacks. "Ubernehmen sie!" she yelled out to another guard, transferring ownership of the pad as she hauled off the suspicious foreigner.

Back in line, Joshua quickly threw his hand on the pad as soon as the new guard held it up for him. It beeped twice and turned green, signaling its approval. Before the guard could even say "Next", Joshua was jogging towards the guard shack that Priss had been taken too. He reached for the handle at the door and was about to swing it open when a green flash of light pulsed from around the edges of the doorframe and blinds on the windows, stopping the man in his tracks. "What the heck…" he mumbled. Wondering if it wasn't some sort of large-scale body scanner, Joshua became even more concerned as he resolved to find out the truth. But before he could get the door open himself, the truth found him instead.

The door opened and Priss quickly stepped through wearing a wry smile on her face.

Joshua was stunned. "What happened?"

Priss stopped at his side and smiled at him. "We can go now."

"O… okay…" he wavered, taking a glance inside the shack.

Standing there frozen, the guard stared into the wall, her eyes open wide and… Joshua almost swore they were tinted a slight green color. "You can go now," the guard spoke to him… despite not looking over in his direction at all. The tone of her voice was monotonous, almost zombie-like.

Joshua simply stood in his stupor until Priss playfully spoke at him.

"Hey, aren't you coming now?"

He turned and looked at Priss who gave him another sly smile as she walked back to their bus. "Uh… okay. But… what about your papers?"

Priss stopped and flashed her impatient crimson eyes at him. "It's all taken care of now."

She didn't try and explain any further, simply marching off to the waiting bus… which Joshua found strangely filling up with everyone that had been in line previously. But before he could ask he looked around and noticed all the border guards standing still, not protesting, not even so much as looking at the other members of their little protest. "Just who are you, Priss Asagiri?" Joshua mumbled to himself, losing himself in thought until the loud blast of the buses' horn broke his confused trance.

Locating his bus, he quickly jogged over to it. He knew they still had an important task ahead in protesting the "Battery" Complex.

* * *

The Plant Manager stood watch in the elaborate control room of the Battery Complex, eyes focused on nothing… while at the same time seeing everything around him. In front of him, four separate operator stations were busy with final preparations and checks. Occasionally, an operator would speak up, drawing his attention to a particular gage. He would flash his eyes to the gage, process the information, and then shift his eyes to his operations leader to make sure that the correct actions were being taken. Nothing was outside his realm of responsibility here. Not maintenance, not operations, not training… not even the press nor security. And his eyes took in all.

With that thought, those eyes glanced to his left, spying the European Union dignitaries on hand for this occasion. Then he flashed to the right, with the press cameras set up to record and broadcast this historic event. Everything was in order and proceeding according to plan. Even if the unexpected happened, the Plant Manager was confident in his team's ability to handle it. Hand picked from the best the EU had to offer, his team had shattered all projections and was ready to go live almost a full 14 months ahead of schedule. Now with his team in place, they were ready to make history and break the shackles of limited power generation for everyone.

A disturbance to the left drew his attention for just a second, before one of his security people ran up to his side, whispering in his ear. He only had to hear one word for his confidence to waver… "Genom? Here?"

"We tried to stop them sir but they've got the council's approval!" the security rep reported.

"I see," the Plant Manager growled under his breath. At that moment, a tall man strode through the middle of the dignitaries and directly up to him… with a heavily armed entourage in tow.

"You must be Plant Manager Hatch, I presume," the pompous suit exclaimed loudly.

"Yes. And your with Genom?"

"No sir. I **am** Genom. Gregory Hollis, Chairman of Genom," the tall man announced, extending his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Acting Chairman," Hatch corrected for him, trying to regain control and maintain his composure while quickly extending his own hand.

Hollis shook firmly, even while he let out an annoyed smirk. "A temporary condition I assure you. For once you start up this facililty, we'll be able to finally settle some of the issues hanging over our grand corporation once and for all. And I assure you, I have full backing of the EU council on these matters."

That statement shrunk the Plant Managers confidence even more.

Hollis turned to his right and spoke to one of his associates dressed in a dark black suit. "Is the research team in place?"

The man nodded and tapped once on his well-concealed earpiece. After a few seconds, the man nodded his affirmation to the Acting Chairman.

"Very well," Hollis acknowledged, jutting out his proud jaw. He turned to the Plant Manager with an overconfident smile. "You may proceed."

Hatch frowned as he turned back to the control panels again… and found his operators facing him instead of their stations, obviously distracted by this showing. All he had to do was glare into them and their trained minds reeled back to their stations again. However, Hatch knew the damage was done. And yet, one thing still hung over his mind_. … issues… _The phrase the Acting Chairman had used toyed with another problem recently associated with the Genom Corporation. _This can't have anything to do with the boomer plague, can it?

* * *

_

Rising voices of gasps and exclamations woke Priss from her content rest. Cracking her eyelids open, the blond woman inhaled sharply and was aroused by the scent of the man she had rested her head on overnight. Smiling to herself, she felt the need to stretch her legs, a strange soreness momentarily alarming her. But before Priss could dwell too long on that sensation, pointing motions from the passengers in front of them on the bus drew both of their attentions out the window.

Over to the left of the bus, around the mountainous curve arose a grand structure the likes very few had seen in their lifetimes. Even with her experiences with Genom Tower, Priss was impressed as well. The voices in front of Joshua and Priss announced that this indeed was the Battery Complex. The Complex appeared to be sculpted out of the side of a tall mountain, even though it still appeared to be almost a hundred stories tall itself. Mirrored windows dotted huge vertical concrete pillars, crisscrossing the breadth of the fortress.

The hum of the buses engines slowed as Priss noticed a tall and heavily guarded fence blocking their path on the road.

"We're here," Joshua told Priss, his voice strangely tense to the woman still dressed in her orange jumpsuit.

"So… what do we do now?" she asked innocently.

"Now," Joshua spoke, standing up from his seat as the bus came to a halt, "we go out and raise as much hell as we can."

"Raise… hell?" she queried, confused.

Joshua turned his head over to the blond woman still sitting when a blinding flash of green light radiated from the windows along the entire length of the Battery Complex. Reflexively, his arm rose to block the light. Ahead of him, a few voices started yelling, as one man yelled out "We're too late!"

The door of the bus slid open and the would-be protesters started filing out as fast as they could… until a piercing scream stopped everyone in their tracks… especially the man standing next to the scream.

Joshua's eyes flared as he turned to Priss, the source of the cry.

Her hands gripped both sides of her head, her whole body shaking violently, tears streaking down her face.

Joshua immediately rushed back to her side, cradling her in his arms. "Priss!! Priss, what's wrong??"

Her crimson eyes darted side to side, her body tense, apparently unresponsive to his presence.

"PRISS!!!" Joshua gently shook her, trying to get through.

She blinked, then blinked again. Finally, her hands relaxed enough to let Priss turn her head to him. "Joshua… they… they are KILLING her!!!" she cried to him, eyes pleading into his.

* * *

Inside the Battery, the operators were scrambling over their panels in the control room. "This doesn't make any sense!!" one of them shouted.

"I'm not even seeing 20 percent of the projected input," another complained.

Plant Manger Hatch struggled to maintain order… especially in front of the Genom execs. "Maybe the input dampers are extended. What's the heat output to the cooling towers?"

"It's also running about 25 percent of expected values, and we've only got one of the four pumps running right now," the center operator reported.

"Damnit," Hatch mumbled to himself, stealing a glance at the Acting Genom Chairman. Hollis wore an odd smirk across his face, seemingly enjoying his crews' perils. Screw it then "Pull dampers 1 and 2."

Two of the three operators still sitting turned to face him. They both gave a nervous look at each other. "Are you sure?" one spoke up finally. That could overload the main distribution bus."

Hatch read off the main gage at the top of the center console. "We're already at 6 percent capacity. If it overloads now, we can still get back up on our own at this point. Besides, we need to see what the input raw feed is… just in case all the R&D folks were really wrong about this 'unlimited' supply."

"Roger that," the operators acknowledged. "Pulling dampers 1 and 2." The center operator lifted his hand to his vertical panel and pressed two buttons.

Immediately all the lights in the building dimmed, with a deep greenish glow beginning to emanate from the main storage compartments carved out of the mountain.

Acting Chairman Hollis smiled as he spoke into his comlink in his ear. "Status update."

The Genom research team answered his call through the comlink. "You aren't going to believe these readings sir."

Hollis' smile grew even wider as his every prayer appeared to be on the verge of being answered. "Go ahead. Try me."

* * *

Priss screamed, tumbling down the stairs of the bus, falling onto the dusty ground and rolling into a fetal ball, clutching her body. Joshua was right behind her, leaping down the stairs and running to her side.

"Priss!!"

But before he could offer any assistance to her, the woman grimaced and stood on her own two feet, her crimson eyes burning towards the Battery. "I won't… I WON'T LET THEM KILL HER!!!" She turned towards the main gate and started stalking up to it… even though it was lined by guards on the outside who were already clashing with protestors from the buses.

"Who are you talking about?" Joshua pleaded as he tried to keep up with her.

Priss grimaced from the pain in her head, but kept moving forward, ignoring Joshua's questions. As she reached the edge of the angry masses, she stopped for just a moment… and then the sea of inhumanity parted, opening a pathway to the gate about 5 meters wide. Purposefully, she strode through the opening and up to the gate.

Joshua stood and stared at either side of the path. On either side, the protestors still argued and clashed with the guard. He reached out and touched one of the other protestors, finding no physical wall between them. However, there seemed to be a 'mental wall' they could not break through. And, once again, he noticed a strange greenish tint in their eyes. Bewildered, Joshua looked ahead to Priss, who was quickly converging on the main gate. He sprinted up to her just as she stopped at the tall sliding gate, lined with barbed wire at the top. Taking up a spot at her side, he looked into her face and saw a desperate determination there.

Priss stared into the gate, then concentrated even harder, her eyebrows burrowing furiously. "Why won't it move?!"

"Huh?" Joshua stood beside her, just as confused as the guards on the other side of the gate who nervously watched them both. He glanced at the guards and then Priss, who's face lit up for just a second as she changed her focus onto the guards themselves. Before Joshua knew what was happening, the guards on the other side were moving into their hut… and the gate simply opened for them.

Priss marched into the complex, heading for the main entrance of the Battery while Joshua stole a glance in the guard shack. This time he wasn't as surprised to find the guards standing zombie-like, their eyes glowing a greenish hue. He paused for a moment, looking at Priss and then back at the guards, then ran after the mystery woman. He caught her a few steps from the Battery entrance, grabbed her by one arm and spun her around. "What the hell is going on?! How are you doing that?!…" he started to rant until a fierce but silent glare from Priss' crimson eyes nearly stole his bravery. "… And… and… just who the hell are you?!"

Her momentary anger dissolved, fading into a doubting hurt. Priss looked away, then back at him again. She tried to speak but no words came forth. She turned her head turned downwards, blond bangs covering her eyes. Then she whispered the words "… i don't know…"

"Don't know?"

Raising her face to look at him, she softly spoke. "I don't know what to tell you… how to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Joshua repeated, softening his stance as he gently slid his hand to cup Priss' hand in his own.

She stared into his deep blue eyes and found that she wanted to tell him everything she knew, but also discovered another curious feeling swirling in her chest. Her hand gripped the orange jumpsuit directly over her heart as she tried to suppress the growing fears of rejection. But before she could act, Joshua moved his free hand to the back of her neck, gently caressing it. The sensation of his soft touch sent shivers down her spine.

For his part, Joshua just wanted to reassure Priss at first. But the moment he looked into her flowing crimson eyes, seeing the beauty of her mysterious innocence, he lost himself in her soul. He shifted the hand cupping Priss' to intertwine with her fingers, nudging closer by moving his free hand to the back of her neck. From there, instincts took over and before he realized it, his lips were mere inches from hers.

Priss' eyes fluttered closed… and then she nearly doubled over from a fresh wave of pain, shattering the moment while breaking the contact. She fell to her knees, swearing at herself. "…can't get distracted… i can't…"

Joshua kneeled down beside her and reached a hand towards her shoulder. But before he could touch her, Priss bolted upright and sprinted through the huge glass doors of the main entrance. He chased after her, passing various guards and other Battery personnel… all frozen in place with their eyes emblazoned green. Down hallways and through corridors he followed her until turning a corner Joshua found himself at a gigantic opening in the building.

The construction company hadn't even bothered to put up walls in this section of the Battery. It was simply carved directly out of the mountain, with a ten story tall glowing, pulsing structure standing before him. In some ways, it seemed to be an oversized power cube. And that's when it hit Joshua. "This… its one of the main storage cells…"

A soft sobbing noise echoed throughout the cavernous chamber, and Joshua followed those echoes with his eyes until they stopped at the base of the cube. There he found Priss, on her knees, both hands pressed firmly into the transparent surface, resting one cheek on the side of the cube. Through the sobs, Joshua thought he could hear Priss 'talking' to the cube, and through his curiosity he stepped closer.

"…don't leave me…" she begged with her cheek still pressed against the cube.

"But I'm right here," Joshua answered, not realizing the request was directed at the cube… until he noticed that Priss didn't even acknowledge his presence. He focused hard, trying to understand what his eyes were showing him. And through his concentration, a light wisp of sound pierced his human fog, and he heard…

"… it… it is my time my child…"

_ The cube? _ he thought to himself.

Priss pushed away from the cube and began shouting at it. "You can't! I don't know what to do!! It… it wasn't supposed to be like this! You were supposed to guide me!"

"… you will have to guide yourself … find your own destiny… just as I have found my own … the places I've been… the things I've seen… nowhere and everywhere at once… " the voice from the cube wondered.

Priss was too distraught to care much about that however. "But I'm so confused! These emotions… why did you have to _curse_ me with them!?"

"… have you already… forgotten…"

"Forgotten?" The woman rocked back on her legs, pondering the word.

"… we had a choice… and we made that choice to go down this path… we did not know where it would bring us…"

"But… I can't even remember that choice now!" Priss cried out, desperate.

"… then… my last act… will be to help you remember my child… remember who we were…"

Joshua watched with fascination as the green glow of the cube momentarily engulfed Priss with its radiating brightness, blinding him with its brilliance. He covered his eyes with one arm, cowering from the inhuman spectacle. After a few moments, the light began to dim. Then a voice spoke to his side.

"Truly remarkable to see the Phenomenon first hand, isn't it?" a powerful male voice spoke in English.

His vision beginning to clear, Joshua looked up into the tall man's face, illuminated by the now fading light of the Battery cube. His chiseled features and well-tailored suit spoke to his position, and he certainly had a powerful aura about him, given his confident stance in an otherwise baffling situation. One word he mentioned rang in Joshua's mind though. "Phenomenon?"

"Yes," the tall suit replied. "It's something not many people have truly witnessed and lived to tell about." He turned and nodded to something behind Joshua…

… and then he felt the piercing blow to the back, falling face first into the ground. Only then did his ears register the gunshot. He lay nearly motionless on the ground, body in total shock.

Hollis turned his attention back to the dying glow of the Battery while his security detail moved back to his side again. "Is the area secure now?"

"Yes chairman," the man in the black suit replied coldly.

"Good. Now we can attend to the important business at hand." He calmly stepped over the prone man bleeding on the floor and towards the kneeling form next to the cube.

The glow faded from that form, and the blond haired female turned her attention to the man approaching her and smoothly stood to face him. Her face was expressionless, emotionless.

Hollis stopped a few meters from her and paused for a second, inspecting the wrinkled orange jumpsuit she wore, a sharp contrast to her otherwise stunning feminine features. In Japanese, he addressed her. "Hello, my name is Reginald Hollis, new Chairman of the Genom Corporation."

The woman didn't say a word, nor did she move at all. She simply stared directly into Hollis.

Slightly unnerved, he turned to his detail. "What are the readings now?"

The security guard keyed his mike and softly passed along the request. After a brief moment, he spoke into Hollis' ear. "The readings from the cubes have faded to nearly background levels… and she's only showing up faintly. Five percent at the peak."

The Acting Chairman smiled broadly at the report. "One less problem to deal with I suppose," he surmised to himself. "But even if you aren't the pure breed that Rosenkruetz and Mason produced, that doesn't make you any less capable, now does it my dear?"

The female figure still remained motionless.

That didn't stop Hollis from rambling on however. "We didn't have any records of a second production model, but, nevertheless, here you are. And you must be so confused. Why else would you come all this way just to see the original terminated?"

Crimson eyes continued to stare into the Acting Chairman, not even blinking.

"I've spent quite some time in Japan and other countries where your kind, boomers, had been extensively used. I admit, I was quite taken aback by the rough treatment your breed suffered through. But I assure you, things will be different under my watch. We will give you wonderful care in our facilities, free of those previous judgmental fools, and free to take on many challenges in this new world."

Not even a hair on the female's head moved at all.

"There are many things a being of your talents can do in this world, my child. With our company so strongly engaged in many facets of society, you'll make a huge difference for our customers… and our shareholders too!" he laughed out loud.

The female face didn't so much as twitch.

Turning serious again, Hollis extended his hand, visions of the new Genom empire swirling in his swelled mind. "Come here my child, my Sotai."

She stared into the tall, dark suited man, a blank stare on her face. Then methodically, almost robotic-like, she raised her right hand to take his…

… or so Hollis thought. He was still staring into her glowing, crimson orbs when Priss snapped her right fist shut just inches away from his own. And those eyes were the last thing Acting Chairman Hollis ever saw as his brain was turned off like a light switch by the blond haired woman. Without uttering a sound, his dead body hit the floor with a hollow, echoing thud.

His security detail was swift in their response, two guards bringing guns to bear almost faster than sight.

They weren't faster than the females thoughts however, and they also dropped to the ground, lifeless. Crimson eyes turned downward to focus on the bleeding human, and only then did her stone cold face crack. A tear leaked from one eye, but only momentarily as she glided over the floor and paused next to him. With one hand reaching down, she covered the area of his wound and closed her eyes.

The echoing sound of running feet grew out of the background machinery, and shouts of voices began to echo through the adjacent corridors.

The female frowned as Joshua's body began to glow. Her eyebrows furrowed as the footsteps approached ever closer. Her blazing eyes shot open and she screamed. "Enough distractions!" She lifted her free hand high above her head, a strong pulse of orange light flashed outward in all directions. Through doors, walls, and solid rock, the phenomenon traversed for kilometers around… and every human within that radius ceased all movements, frozen in place and time. The footsteps and the voices were now quiet.

'Priss' bowed her head again and concentrated on the fallen human at her feet. Within a few moments, the foreign object fell out of his back and into the puddle of blood on the floor. Behind it, the raw flesh closed up on its own, leaving not even a scar on the outside skin as it was made whole once more. The glow finally faded away from Joshua's body and the woman stood back from her handiwork.

Inhaling a deep, painless breath, Joshua blinked several times… and found himself staring sideways at a pair of workboots worn below an orange jumpsuit. Suddenly, memories of the gunshot rang fresh in his mind and he jumped upright, reaching around his back. There, he found the hole the bullet had traversed… but nothing else. Confused, his eyes scanned around to find three bodies lying on the ground around him… and Priss majestically standing before him. He was going to ask a question when he noticed a soft orange aura around her. Peering closer into her eyes, he found someone there he didn't recognize… someone with confidence, assuredness… someone who knew who she was. It was then that Joshua realized he still didn't know. "Just who are you?"

The woman replied calmly, evenly. "I am the way I wanted to be. I have made myself like this because I wanted the ability to feel, not just to exist the way I was created before."

"Created?" Joshua asked confused.

The female ignored his question. "Now that I have made you whole, I command you to bow to me," she demanded coldly.

"Priss? What are you talking about?" He couldn't comprehend this change in her tone. "Priss?" he repeated again.

But 'Priss' shook her head at him. "I do not answer to that name. Now bow before your master, human."

As confused as he was, Joshua wasn't going to just obey her command. He stared at the woman he knew as Priss, trying to figure out what was driving her to act this way. But as he gazed deep into her eyes, Joshua thought he saw another reality there. He didn't bow at Priss' feet, instead he took a step towards her, watching her eyes the entire time.

Reflexively, the female took a step back.

Joshua smiled… but only inwardly as he saw a hint of fear in those crimson eyes… a very human emotion that told him everything he wanted to know. He took another step towards her and let out a visible grin.

"Stop," the blond female ordered weakly, taking another step backwards.

"Why are you ordering me around?" Joshua asked, taking yet another step.

"Because…" she nervously resisted, "… because I have to." She continued to backpedal until she backed into something solid. Her head snapped around to find the back of the dim, cool cube trapping her in place. Her eyes darted back to her front just in time to see Joshua's arms press into the cubes surface on either side of her, his face stopping just inches away from her own. Her breathing drew shallow, rapid. She pressed harder into the cube, her mind thinking of what to do… but not necessarily on how to get away…

Joshua softly smiled above her. "Why do you have to?"

"I… I'm destined to rule over all humans…"

"But what if I'm ruling over you right now?" he asked, slowing closing the gap to her lips.

"You can't," she still resisted, turning her face to the side. "I can make you do anything I want."

Joshua let out a small laugh. "So what do you want me to do now?" he baited.

The female turned her eyes back to Joshua's deep blue ones, and saw the answer to his question reflected there. Her lips parted slightly, one hand moved to rest against his chest. She felt the heat rise in her body, and once again sensed the answer from deep within her own newly discovered emotions. Wordlessly, she arched her back, forcing her body forward to press against his. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes and waited for a moment…

… and then he was on her lips, devouring her with everything he had, and giving the female everything she had ever wanted, everything she had desired to achieve in that one instant.

The kiss deepened and the two bodies intertwined even further, arms wrapping around to feverishly grip each other tightly. The strength of their bond grew, and the aura surrounding the female erupted into bright, yellow flames of pure energy. That energy grew, expanding into the Battery cubes, illuminating all the cells inside the facility, flooding the entire building with its light. Finally, the light flooded outside the building, eventually flowing over everything in the immediate area with its pure, cleansing flow.

* * *

Dirty potting tools in hand, Misa walked up the steps, working around the tired lump blocking her way. She stopped on the porch, glaring back at Linna even as she let out a sigh. "Are you coming, or are you just going to sit there for another hour staring at the ground?"

Linna blinked twice, lifting out of another introspective haze just briefly. "Huh?"

Misa frowned, her voice shifting from mild irritation to concern. "Are you coming inside now? I'll fix you some lunch, okay?"

"I'm not hungry," Linna mumbled after a few moments of silence.

"Linna…" Her mother stopped her scolding tone before it got started. She knew her daughter just needed time at this point. Misa continued into the house, knowing she couldn't give Linna anything else, no matter how much she wanted to.

Linna didn't hear the door slide closed behind her. She didn't see the steps at her feet, nor the lazy, puffy clouds rolling by overhead. She didn't smell the newly planted flowers, nor did she feel the warm spring breeze blowing across her folded up arms. All her senses were still lost in the jungles where she had found Priss' armor, essentially just a lush, expansive gravesite. Linna clutched at her chest, her heavy heart weighed down with the thought of just how far Priss had gone to rescue her… and how little she had been able to do in turn.

Thus lost in her pain, Linna didn't hear the approaching van drive up to her house. Nor did she pay any attention when it stopped by the bus stop outside of her driveway. Even when the door of the van opened, she didn't notice in the least. Not even when the heavy sounds of footsteps approached on the path to her house. Finally, when the sharp reflection of the midday sun bounced off the metal feet and into her eyes did Linna look up into the large figure approaching her.

Time suddenly slowed to a horrid crawl for the country girl as her eyes registered the sight of a large boomer striding directly towards her, an ominously covered load hauled in its power augmented arms. Her mind froze, her heart stopped, and every nightmare she had endured the last few months came roaring back in that instant.

The boomer appeared to take full advantage of the former Knight Saber's shock, trapping her against the house and letting her have it. Without warning, the monstrosity lowered its arms, subjugating Linna to the full brunt of its payload.

The girl flinched, closing her eyes as she waited for a certain death to grab hold as the weight dropped into her body. And then it was over.

The sound of metallic feet shuffling away towards the idling van filled Linna's ears as she opened her eyes again. Looking up, she spied the boomer getting into the van, turning around and driving off, back down the road the same way it had come.

It was only then that the young woman looked down into the long, heavy weight held in her lap, wrapped almost entirely in a blanket… except for the short brown hair sticking out of one end. The sense of the blanket warmed Linna's chest, as she was able to feel the outline of two arms coupled with two legs extending down the length of the soft material. Ever so carefully, she cradled the figure with her one arm while lifting her hand to the end with the hair protruding out. Trembling, she peeled back the fuzzy, beige fabric.

Tears flooded her eyes as the sight of the human underneath became visible. She lifted her face to the heavens even as she cradled the woman still wrapped in the blanket to her chest, crying over and over "…thank you, thank you, thank you…" Drawing in a deep breath, Linna focused her pale violet globes down into the face she so desperately wanted to be real, blinking away the tears momentarily. She ever so gently nestled her free hand to caress the side of the other woman's face, marveling in the softness she found there.

Her touch was electric, rippling through the skin and bringing an ever-growing feeling of reality to the unreal scenario playing out right in her lap.

And then the other woman opened her brown eyes and whispered one word through her dried, raspy lips. "… linna?…"

"Oh my God. Priss… it really is you!!" Linna cried, pulling Priss up into a hug through the blanket and holding her there forever.

_To be continued…_


	18. Ch 17: Rise

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 17 – "Rise"

* * *

Misa stepped cautiously up to the door, listening for noises on the other side. It wasn't that she was trying to spy, she was just concerned for her daughter's well being. Placing her ear against the wooden surface, soft sobs filtered from the porch on the other side. Those sobs reached deep into the Mother's heart as she immediately reached for the handle and slid the door open.

"Oh honey, is there anything… " Misa stopped dead in her tracks as soon as her eyes followed the sound of the 'crying' and found Linna sitting on the steps of their house… with a person wrapped in a beige blanket cradled across her lap, apparently sleeping. "Linna? Linna who is that?" she cried, rushing to her daughter's side even as she glanced around the front yard and into the road, looking for a car or something else that could have been used to transport this person to their home.

Linna's beaming face turned to face her mother and she didn't have to say a word, even though she did manage a cryptic "It's her!" anyway.

Misa's face lit up as well. "Her? You mean… that… that's Priss?"

Linna nodded emphatically.

Her mother was very confused. "But… but how? How did she get here? Did she walk all this way?!"

Linna turned her head upward and towards the road, thinking back to the boomer that had dropped Priss into her lap. "She didn't walk. Something… something brought her here. And I don't care what it was either! She's here now and that's all that matters," the sitting woman added, cradling Priss even more tightly to her chest. The sensation of finally having Priss in her arms left her feeling almost giddy inside, in fact leaving a low buzz humming in her head.

Misa shifted nervously on her feet, glancing around worriedly. However, her focus was drawn back to the woman wrapped in the blanket. Knowing they needed to get Priss inside, she sat down next to her daughter and carefully uncovered part of the blanket below her head. Her eyes widened in more shock as she realized… "She doesn't have any clothes on?!"

"I… I guess not," Linna replied, confused as well.

"Okay then, um… Priss?" Misa called to the 'sleeping' woman, trying to rouse her.

Both women peered into the blanket, looking for a response. None was forthcoming.

The elder woman cast a worried look into her daughter's eyes. "Are you sure she's…"

"Yes!" Linna cried. "She… she called my name! She looked into my eyes!"

"She doesn't look very good," Misa said, concerned because of the pale, sunken face that she could see. "She might be just too weak right now. We'll have to carry her inside."

The two Yamazaki's carefully shifted the unmoving Priss until they could both carry her into the house. Once inside, Linna insisted that Priss be taken to her room… and Misa wasn't about to argue with her with a heavy body in her arms. Once they laid her onto Linna's bed, Misa quickly removed the blankets to do a quick inspection. The mother drew in a deep breath at what she found. "She… she's got quite a few… scars. And…"

"She's so skinny now," Linna finished for her, standing over her mother's shoulder and carefully inspecting her fellow Knight Saber. She paid careful attention to certain areas, her mind popping with memories of exactly how certain scars came to be on Priss' body, guilt building up within. However, one area of concern quickly rose above the guilt and into the forefront of Linna's mind. "Mom, can you turn her to the side please?"

"Sure," Misa answered, despite being a little 'unsure'. Linna moved to the other side of the bed and helped her mother roll the unconscious woman on her side, so that her back and neck were facing Linna. Misa held Priss in place as her daughter was drawn to the back of her neck.

"… oh my god…" she gasped out loud. Linna's hand traced something on the back of Priss' neck, her eyes flaring out wide.

"What is it?"

"… I… I hope it's nothing…" Linna whispered softly.

Curiosity pulled Misa across and she bent over to take a look for herself. Glancing at the tapered end of Priss' very short hair, she found a long, very fresh scar tracing the outline of her spine for about 20 cm. A couple of drops of water tapped on the bed sheets behind Priss, and Misa looked up into her daughter's teary face.

Linna ran one hand through Priss' butchered hair, fingers trembling, lips quivering. "Why did this have to happen to her? All she wanted to do was… but she wouldn't have had to… if only… if only I hadn't…" And then Linna recoiled away from Priss, away from the bed. She fled to the window, turning away just as she broke down into loud sobs of self-pity.

Misa set the unconscious Priss on her back, lifted a clean blanket over her. She stood up from the bed and walked to her daughter's side, She carefully placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "Linna, I know you feel bad about this… but…," she paused, glancing back at the woman lying in the bed. "… but, what's done is done. It can't be changed now… and Priss, she's here and needs you now."

The crying quieted down, Linna gently nodding her sniffling acceptance.

Her mother let out a brief smile, turning away from Linna and back towards the bed. "But since neither of us our doctors, we really should bring Priss to the hospital…"

"NO!!! You can't!!!" Linna spun around and ran in front of Misa, placing herself in between her mother and Priss. "No more hospitals!"

"But Linna…"

"NO!!!" Linna's violet eyes burned with determination. "She's staying here!"

"Honey, I know you don't want to lose her again…"

"It… its not that," she replied, her tone calming as her focus shifted inwardly, back to her ragged memories. "I mean, I don't want to be apart from her… but I don't want to risk having her used like some lab rat, or worse."

Misa recalled Linna's horror stories of the American hospitals and instantly understood her reservations. "I know honey, but, we still need to make sure Priss is okay."

"So can't we bring one here? What about Dr. Sasaki?"

"The family doctor?!. I don't know Linna…"

"He knows us though, and I trust him!" she pleaded.

"And he helped with your knee surgery in High School also," her mother added. Misa paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "Listen, let me talk to your father, and then we will see what we can do."

Linna nodded, knowing it was the best she could hope for right now. "Thanks mom."

Misa let out a tentative smile and hugged her daughter, before quickly exiting the room and heading for the phone.

Linna sat down next to Priss on the bed, holding one of her hands, staring into her resting face. With her free hand, she gently stroked the side of the singer's face. "Oh Priss…"

Linna felt pressure on her hand and looked down to find Priss' fingers beginning to squeeze her own. Elatedly, her attention shifted back to Priss' face, finding the other woman's eyes cracking open ever so slightly.

Priss' brown globes appeared to focus on Linna for just an instant, her lips parting briefly, before she settled back into the pillow and fell back asleep.

As soon as the pressure on Linna's hand subsided, she knew what she had to do. Standing up from the bed, Linna headed off for the kitchen to get something for Priss to drink. In her heart, she resolved to do whatever it took to help Priss recover from her ordeals, whatever they may have been in the last six months. She knew it was the least she could do to help repay Priss for saving her from Galatea.

* * *

"WHAT?! YOU FOUND PRISS?!" Nene yelled into the phone.

"Well, sorta," Linna answered cryptically.

"Huh?"

"I mean, she, well, was dropped off by a boomer at my house."

Nene sat silently at her desk for a moment, even as Jill and Katsumi hovered over the top of her waiting for news at their office.

"And she's sleeping right now," Linna spoke up, trying to fill the awkward gap.

Nene drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tried to act in a calm manner. "Linna, how much sake have you had today?"

"Sake? Wha… but, Nene?!"

"Okay then, how much beer have you been drinking?"

"NENE!!!"

"C'mon Linna, you don't really expect me to believe that a boomer would just drop Priss on your lap, do you? After all this time?"

Nene thought she heard the sound of boiling steam on the other end of the phone, simmered with a low growling voice. _"Then why don't you pick up the vid-phone if you don't believe me."_

_Uh-oh… she's too serious to be drunk… unless she's gone stark raving mad _"Um, okay. I've got to move desks for just a second." She shuffled around Jill and over to a work station where she keyed in the line and activated the video link. Linna's crimson face burned through the camera lens on the other side of the picture at her. "Oh… um… hi Linna…" Nene waved sheepishly.

Linna frowned even more, if that was possible, and then pointed the lens towards the bed behind her. On the screen appeared a slim, ragged woman with very short brown hair, lying covered up and apparently sleeping still.

Nene's eyes stared intently into her screen, focusing, then refocusing again. She blinked twice, rubbed her eyes, and refocused one more time. Only then did her face light up like a Christmas tree, a huge smile erupting from deep within. "OH MY GOD!!! THAT REALLY IS PRISS!!! IT'S PRISS IT'S PRISS IT'S PRISS!!!" she screamed over and over. She grabbed Katsumi and crushed her in a hug, still screaming until Kat ran out of air and nearly collapsed on the floor. That only gave Nene the chance to run over to Jill, grab her human arm and drag her to the screen, pushing her face into the monitor while jumping on her back, still screaming "IT'S PRISS IT'S PRISS!!!"

"…_yes, its priss…"_ Linna whispered on the other end of the line, holding her hand over the speaker at the same time. _"… don't yell or else you might wake her up…"_

Nene dropped Jill, who fell to the floor in a heap, and gave a very concerned look back towards Linna. "Is she okay? What happened to her?"

"I… I'm not sure. Like I said, a boomer dropped her on my lap, literally."

"You mean… you weren't joking about that?!"

"No, I wasn't. And she's been so weak that she's only said a couple of words to me so far."

Nene paused, digesting the information carefully. "Are you going to bring her to a hospital?" she nervously asked.

"After what they almost did to Linna?!" Katsumi, finally recovered, blurted out from behind the startled Nene.

A thin smile popped on the country girl's face for just a moment before she answered. "No, we aren't bringing her to the hospital in Kumamoto. We're having our family doctor come here to check on her tomorrow."

"Whew, that's good… I guess…" Nene started, before more questions popped into her head. "… but what about that boomer? I mean, why would a boomer just drop Priss at your house? And… what about… y'know… what happened in space?"

"What do you mean?" Linna asked, suspicious.

"Well, I thought that Galatea was trying to use Priss… like she tried to use you to make another Sotai, Linna."

"Oh, well…" she answered, her own fears creeping back to the forefront. Linna glanced back at Priss, the memory of the scar on the back of the singer's neck burned into her own mind now. "… that's what Priss thought she was trying to do too. But, she's here now… and she's okay," Linna encouraged herself as well as Nene. "I just know she's okay now."

"I hope your right," Nene added.

Linna sighed as well from the other side of the connection. "Me too."

A few minutes later, the two former Knight Sabers had said their goodbyes. Nene leaned back into the chair at her desk, stretching her arms over her head and tilting far enough to find herself staring at the ceiling. She stayed like that for a while, picking out the patterns in the tile overhead for a while before her mind dived further into the implications of everything Linna had said. _Priss is back. But how did she survive? Why did she appear now? And, what about Galatea? _Tossed in those thoughts were her own memories of the space battle, her recent nightmares, and her lingering fears about Mackey's well being.

"Are you alive in there?" floated words together with a hand waved across Nene's face.

Nene blinked a few times, finally realizing that Katsumi was standing over the top of her blocking her view. "How long have you been standing there?" she stretched, glancing at the clock due to the surprising depth of stiffness in her back.

"Long enough to really worry about you," the jet-black haired woman replied. "I mean, I noticed how concerned you were about Priss. And both of us remember what nearly happened to Linna," Katsumi added, nodding towards Jill, who was sitting intently at her own desk, watching her two business partners.

Somehow, just the fact that Katsumi and Jill were asking her was enough for Nene, she found. "I'll be alright. Thanks for asking Kat."

"Are you sure?" Katsumi persisted, noting the time herself. "It's 4 now. It's early, but wanna go out for a steak dinner now and just talk?" she offered, but upon seeing a small frown cross Nene's face altered the plans just a little. " … or we can just get a small bite to eat and hang out tonight if you want?"

Folding her body over, Nene finished stretching her back out then stood up. "Thanks Kat. Really, I mean it. You guys have been great, but… I need to talk to Sylia in person about Priss anyway."

Katsumi frowned, turning towards Jill for support. However, the blond woman closed her eyes and nodded towards Nene. "It's okay Nene. We understand. If you need anything, just let us know."

"Thanks Jill," Nene said sincerely, picking up her purse and coat and walking towards the door. "I'll see you guys in the morning!"

"Bye Nene!" Katsumi replied, before slumping down into her chair. She sat motionless like that for a few moments, staring at her clear screen monitor.

"You knew she'd want to spend time with Mackey tonight," Jill interrupted.

"I know. I'm still hoping she'll find time for herself sometime soon instead of spending all her time at that house," Katsumi finally admitted. She put her hand over the mouse, flipping quickly through a few screens on her monitor. "Well, guess its time to get a few things done."

"Yeah, the bills aren't going to pay… what the…?!"

The overhead lights flickered twice, then winked out. Several beeps echoed through the suddenly quiet building while the familiar hum of the ventilation system died down.

"You **did** pay the electrical bill, didn't you Kat?" Jill threw out sarcastically.

For her part, Katsumi wasn't amused. "Of course I did!" she shot back. She checked the source of the beeping, confirming that the backup power supplies for the computers were working as intended.

Both women stood up and walked towards the remaining light filtering in from the window. Once there, they found the street filling with confused people looking all around at darkened buildings and blank traffic lights. "Looks like its at least the whole block that's out of power," Jill commented surly.

"Guess I'd better power down the PC's then."

"Yep. This day is done."

"Yeah. I just hope we can find a restaurant with power close by."

Jill smiled at her partner. "If not, I suppose we could always clean out that leftover Chinese in the fridge."

"Yeah, I guess so," Katsumi sighed, her thoughts of a steak dinner strictly relegated to her dreams now.

* * *

The soft knock on the bedroom door was all she needed to hear to know who was on the other side. But Sylia was anything but in the mood for visitors, pulling the covers over her head and trying to hide from the much too cheerful girl. "Not today Nene, please."

The door opened and the blond girl stuck her head through cautiously anyway. "But I think you'll want to hear this," Nene baited.

Sylia lowered the covers just enough to more forcefully make her point. She sucked in a deep breath to chase Nene away, but only managed a few coughs through her weakened lungs.

Nene didn't wait any longer, rushing through the door and over to Sylia's side. "Here, let me help," she quickly offered, taking a glass of water on a nightstand and holding it out to Sylia.

Too weak to protest, Sylia took the water with shaky hands and gingerly sipped. "Thank you."

Nene was struck by just how genuine Sylia sounded, and wondered if she now realized just how bad off she was. However, shaking off the distracting thoughts, she took the water from Sylia and placed it back on the nightstand. "Linna found Priss," she announced out of the blue, not certain how to prepare Sylia for it anyway.

The bedridden woman's shocked eyes immediately focused onto Nene. "What? She found her?? But, where was she? And is she alive?" Sylia finally paused, the adrenaline quickly wearing out in her thin bloodstream.

"Yes, she's alive," Nene started cautiously. "Linna's not sure where she was since… since Priss was delivered to her house by a boomer," she said matter of factly, turning her head upwards and placing one finger on her chin.

"A boo…?" Sylia stopped mid-sentence, her jaw dropping like a rock, eyes fixed and wide, staring straight ahead.

"Not a boo… a boomer," Nene chastised, still staring into the ceiling. "Linna says Priss has only said a couple of words, but she did recognize her, which is always a good sign." Nene finally turned her attention down to Sylia and nearly panicked.

Sitting up in bed, Sylia had somehow managed to turn an even paler shade of white, her face frozen.

"Um, Sylia, are… are you alright?" Nene carefully asked. When Sylia gave no response, the young woman lifted one hand and passed in front of Sylia's face, just to make sure she was alive.

Finally, the robed woman blinked once, then twice more. Slowly her head shifted towards Nene's startled form. Her dry, weathered lips parted and a faint whisper fluttered from her throat.

Nene struggled but couldn't understand the words. She strained, turning one ear to Sylia and leaned closer to her. "What? What did you say Sylia?"

At that moment Sylia finally snapped. Her hands ripped up from the bed and grabbed Nene around the neck. _"YOU IDIOT!!! A BOOMER WOULDN'T BRING PRISS!!! BOOMERS ONLY SERVE GALATEA!!!"_

Too shocked to move out of the way, Nene felt Sylia's fingers instantly dig deep into her flesh. With her eyes nearly bulging out of her head, Nene's own hands scratched and grabbed at Sylia's wrists. In the older woman's weakened condition, she wasn't able to sustain her attack for more than a few seconds. Nene pried Sylia's hands off of her neck, falling back from the bed. She sucked in a few deep breaths, rubbing her sore neck and coughing as she scampered on her other hand and both knees towards the door.

A maniacal laugh pierced the air as Sylia fell back into her pillows. _"Boomers only answer to her now! She's back! She's back and she'll finish us all!!! SHE WILL KILL ALL OF US UNLESS WE KILL HER FIRST!!!"_

"Sylia! Your crazy! That was just Priss! I saw her on the screen!!" Nene shouted back from her knees as she leaned on the wall next to the door.

"_A fool! YOUR JUST A FOOL NENE!! She can look like anyone she wants… and now SHE LOOKS LIKE PRISS… AND SHE'll KILL LINNA… and then she'll come here and kill you … and kill me… SHE'LL KILL US ALL UNLESS WE STOP HER!!! We… we've got to stop her… somehow… more hardsuits… WE NEED MORE HARDSUITS… Nigel… NIGEL… must find him… Nigel… where's Nigel? Nene, where's Nigel? Nene?"_

Sylia wasn't going to get an answer from the frightened girl. Nene was already out the door, stumbling down the hall and towards the stairs. She didn't stop until she was out of the house and by her scooter, not even bothering to look for Henderson. She fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. "Sylia's lost it… she finally lost it…" But one thought troubled her more deeply that just Sylia's mental state…

_What if she's right? What if that really isn't Priss?!

* * *

_

_To be continued…_


	19. Ch 18: Spreading the Disease

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 18 – "Spreading the Disease"

* * *

Soft light filtered through the closed eyes of the sleeping man, stirring his rest just enough to break the trance he was under. Curiosity forced his eyelids to crack open, letting more of the light shine into the back of Joshua's chestnut colored eyes. The light magnified in intensity, burning into his mind with its ferocity. His eyes slammed shut, closing out that source of pain. Only then did the other sources of pain register. His head throbbed with a dull, buzzing ache. His stomach felt like a ball of knots, almost beyond starvation. Lying on his side, he stretched his legs and found those muscles tight as well, but not as tightly wound as his back was. And at first he couldn't remember exactly why.

More slowly this time, he opened his eyes and stared at a foreign plain beige wall sized curtain. Behind that curtain a strong midday sun blazed in the sky, casting rippled shadows through the dusty vent blown air just above an ancient looking long heater under the curtain. Joshua rolled on his back and stared into a non-descript low hanging ceiling covered with a white textured finish. It could have been the ceiling to dozens of places that he had been before. The problem was he wasn't sure which of them he was in now, if any. _Where am I? _

He knew he was lying in a bed from the soft pillow and hard mattress he lay on. Beyond that, he had to discover for himself. Carefully, he strained his still tired muscles and sat up on his elbows, looking around at the rest of the space within sight. At first glance it looked like a plain hotel room. A cheap wall panel entertainment system framed in scratched black plastic was the most decoration in the otherwise empty room. He stared at the panel, and then searched next to the lone bed at the end table for the remote control. Opening the drawer below the surface, Joshua finally found the device and pressed the power button.

The panel came to life, displaying a local football game. Joshua listened to the German commentary for a moment before changing channels. He surfed through until resting on a news station. It only took a few moments before the station identified themselves, and then he knew… but he still didn't. "How did I wind up in Berlin?" He searched his memory, but could only find a small town in the eastern mountains… the location of the Battery complex. That memory seemed to draw closer to the truth, but he was still missing something. "My itinerary!" he recalled. He knew that in his wallet or his front pocket of his backpack would be his ticketed itinerary.

He tried to jump out of bed, but his protesting muscles halted that idea. Instead, he gingerly crept up from the bed, discovering himself dressed in only his boxer shorts. That fact alone seemed very odd to the conservative man. He walked around the corner of the bed and to the bathroom by the only door in the room. Beside the door was a closet where his clothes would likely be. Opening the folding door there, he found two piles of clothes. One he recognized as his. The other pile looked very odd. He reached down and lifted up a small orange jumpsuit, studying its features carefully. It wasn't his that much he was certain of. But whom did it belong too, and why was it there??

The confused man rubbed the texture of the fabric between his fingers. It left an industrial impression on his mind. Still he wasn't sure of the origin of that fabric. The rough, shiny zipper caught his eye. He fingered it, drawing it down a few clicks. Instantly a lightning bolt shot out of his memory, his fingers on that same zipper, pulling it down. Then on either side of the part, two curvaceous globes framed by the bright orange material.

Joshua blushed hard as he became aware of the consequences of that memory. A woman? Priss? He wasn't certain how he knew that name, but even as he grasped the jumpsuit trying to retain the memory, it quickly faded in the back of his mind. The man grew desperate, running one hand through his rough, greasy brown hair. He shook his head, and then focused inward trying to draw forth those elusive images. The jumpsuit crinkled in his clenching fist even as Joshua struggled mentally just as hard. Kneeling over, he concentrated on the one dissolving remnant left. It was elusive, like following a rabbit through a patch of dense woods. But the harder he tried, the fainter it became. Finally, he could barely remember what he was searching for anymore. Then he found it.

In his mind, it was as if a large envelope appeared before him and unfolded. And there she stood in his memory, a goddess glowing in a pure emerald aura. She reached out and touched him. Impossibly, he felt her warm skin on his cheek. It was the trigger, and then he remembered everything about her… and more importantly to him, everything they had experienced together as a couple for the last four days. And the strangest part of the memory was that he could feel it not only from his perspective, but from hers as well. The intensity, the passion, the desire, all of it coursed through his blood in one crushing rush of raw emotion.

"Hello Joshua," the virtual figure spoke to him in his memory. Standing before him, she appeared to wear a flowing white robe, giving her a sense of royalty.

He tried to reply to the woman he saw on the other side of his eyes, however the "Hello Priss" he intended wouldn't materialize in this place. It was as if he was watching a virtual message being projected onto his consciousness.

"I am sorry I had to leave, but I need to find the place I belong in this world," she spoke, sadness drawing from her voice. "You were my first Joshua, but I want to experience everything in this new existence that I have created. And that means I cannot limit myself to just one set of experiences, or just one person, if I am to fulfill my original intentions."

Even as her words stabbed into his soul, he could still feel the genuine guilt with which she spoke.

"And because of the nature of my new existence, I can also sense the… heartache… that it would cause you. That is not a fate I want to leave for you, Joshua. I will not let it." The emerald goddess raised her arms and shiny spears of light flashed from her hands, exploding in every corner of Joshua's mind all at once.

The orange jumpsuit fell to the carpeted floor in a heap. Joshua's chestnut eyes dilated then flashed a greenish hue. One soft word escaped his lips.

"…_Aoede…"

* * *

_

The sun quickly set on Berlin, leaving the city mostly awash in a halogen and neon glow. However, parts of the city weren't so fortunate. They were coated with a pitch-black, deafening darkness. Rolling blackouts were paralyzing Berlin and just about every other major European city because of the sudden failure of every power cube that drew upon the "free" source of electricity. Discovered not even a year ago, speculation among industry analysts was rampant as to the real source of the power and the cause of the failure. However, not everyone cared as much as the analysts did. Indeed, some of those uncaring souls found solstice even in the dark parts of Berlin.

A crowd huddled around the entrance into a sparsely lit nightclub as temporary lights chased away the shadows as much as they could. Some of the tightly packed crowd carried flashlights. Others wore neon bands round their necks, arms and legs to help light their way. But for the most part, they weren't in the club just to be able to see, they wanted something a little more. Music was something more than a distraction even in good times. But for times like these, it became a crutch of support.

But the owner of the club had a small problem. His house band was an amp driven thrash/punk hybrid. Without electricity, he knew they might as well trade in their axes for tin cans and rocks. However, he didn't build one of the better underground clubs in West Berlin by letting a little thing like a lack of electricity stop him. A small personal generator was enough to keep the beer cold and the registers ringing. As for the music? Well, experience taught the owner that nothing in West Berlin drew more attention in tough times than open mike night. And so far, he was right. The signup list was full and the house was packed.

The owner stood in the back, watching the crowd as they in turn watched the stage. A round of applause went up as the latest 'victim' left the stage to a smattering of cheers and a handful of whistles of disapproval. All in all, she hadn't been bad, he thought to himself. A little talent and a lot of alcohol had helped her get to the stage and have some fun, he decided. _Pretty ordinary _

The stage manager walked over to the mike to announce the next participant. "Okay everyone! Next up we have a one name wonder!"

That drew a chorus of laughs from the mildly intoxicated crowd.

"Would… Ode… come up?" the young man read off a sheet of paper lit by his own flashlight.

Heads swiveled around everywhere as they searched for the person who would be taking the stage, seeing if they would be brave enough to carry through or if they would lose their nerve. A few moments passed, and no one appeared by the stairs to the side of the stage.

The stage manager looked down at his paper again and strained to read the name again. "Okay, is Aode out there?" He took the flashlight and scanned around the stairs to see if someone was walking that way. The crowd's gaze followed the beam as well. The beam cut through the smoky atmosphere, panning across the top of the expectant mass of people. For several moments the search continued, a low mumbling growing from the crowd. Finally the beam stopped at the bottom of the stairs… and there she was.

A young woman in her early twenties walked up the stairs with an air of grace and confidence that was very much out of place with the atmosphere of the club. Glowing crimson eyes were framed with parted blond hair that flowed halfway down her back. She wore a low cut mini-sweater layered with an unbuttoned black vest. Below her bare waist, a leather mini-skirt hugged to both sides of her curvaceous hips. Sheer stockings slinked down her legs and into thin black twin-strapped high-heeled shoes.

The stage manager's flashlight clinked to the wooden stage floor, the only noise in the entire club. The woman had everyone's attention, and that was just the way she wanted it. She strode up to the microphone stand, flanked on both sides by flickering candles, and began to caress it with one hand, her fingers delicately curling around the firm metal pole. She gave a glare at the frozen manager who quickly decided to leave, the woman showing who really owned the stage. She returned her attention to the mike. Her hand slithered up to gently and confidently lift it from the stand.

Behind her, three acoustic musicians waited for a queue to start the song that was on the preset list. The woman's head shifted to the side and she appeared to glance at the musicians. In turn, all three of them looked up from their positions and stared back at her. The dim lights and candles illuminating their spots faded, a faint breeze blowing across the stage blowing out the candles. But just as their figures seemed to slip into the shadows, small points of green lights grew from the darkness. Six points of light in all, three pairs each belonging to the musicians, became very visible behind the smiling woman on stage as she turned to face the murmuring crowd. She raised her microphone to the heavens, the club began to chant and cheer in anticipation. The woman held it in place, waiting for the background noise to die down. After a few moments it did… and then she brought the hammer down on stage.

Her fist pounded down and the entire club erupted in a blazing glow of emerald stars, the flash blinding most of the crowd. The air exploded with ripping waves of an electric guitar, the formerly acoustic instrument now flooded with energy, pouring out through the arms of a glowing musician to the left of the blond haired singer. On her right, the other guitarist stood up from his seat and pounded out the beat with a thundering bass axe, his hands flicking off strands of the greenish energy. Behind them all, the drummer's arms and feet danced with the same pulsing flow, strands of light connecting all three musicians together… and with the woman at the front of the stage.

She danced with one leg, tapping her heel to the beat, timing the chords with the stand and her other hand. Slowly, the woman drew the mike to her confident smile. Her clothes rippled against her skin, fraying the air with the shining strands illuminating the stage while drawing everything into her web of control. Her tongue flicked across her shimmering lips, chest rose, mike held at the ready. And then the club filled with song…

_Heat rising  
__Beat of the highway  
__We meet  
__Stuck at the byway_

_Laughing, Crying  
Loving, Dying_

_Where to go?_  
_What its for?  
__Just madness  
__Monsters we've all become_

_Heat rising  
__Speed of the freeway  
__We crash  
__Caught in a tidal wave_

_Laughing, Crying  
__Loving, Dying_

_Where are you?  
__Why'd you leave?  
__Can't go on now  
__Got to lose control, because…_

_We're just slaves to the night  
__Nothing more than shadows in the light  
__Souls are stained, dyed by your mark  
__Won't come out, can't find us here in the dark_

_Hearts exposed in front of everyone  
__Ripped right out, smashed to oblivion  
__Can't feel through all this pain  
__Jaded shards cutting like black rain_

As the singer wove the lyrics from her newfound humanity, the illuminated strands interconnecting with her band flowed outward, weaving bonds with the first few rows of fans beneath the small stage. The music continued to pour down from the stage and through the strands, pulsing into the rest of the crowd. As the masses became intertwined with the singer and her message, they surged toward the stage inside the club, in turn pulling even more people with them into the overcrowded space. Soon the doorway was jammed with masses of pulsing humans, straining to get inside, the raw energy infecting person to person into the street, pulling them all in like a huge magnet.

Finally the woman on stage paused while a guitar solo whipped the masses into even more of a frenzy. She drew in deep breaths, feeling the thumping beat of her chest. Her body felt feather light, her feet seemingly not even touching the stage. A broad smile stretched across her glossy lips as the exhilaration of the moment caught her in its addicting snare. Her attention turned outward again, her crimson eyes panning across the tops of the thrashing crowd. Her eyelids closed and she concentrated, letting the energy flow from their souls and into hers, feeding into her heart. Their desires became hers, their emotions stirred her own, their fire ignited her passion, their needs drove her into action.

The woman's eyes snapped open as she flipped the mike into the air and caught it with her left hand. She thrust their energy into the music and fed the crowd even more. Everything she was became the words from her lips, transformed into electricity of song.

But soon the song was done and so was her turn on stage according to the rules of the evening. However, the woman had no intention of leaving her newfound throne. The stage was hers. Even the packed crowd in the club agreed as they clapped and cheered thunderous approval.

She swiveled her head back towards the band. They stood in place for a moment, staring back at her once again. Then as she turned away from them, they took their places and started playing another song. The woman let the music build inside of her anew, feeding off of the instruments behind her and the roaring crowd beneath her. And then as she brought the mike to life again with her vocals, they filled the air inside and outside the club. Intermixed with the lyrical message of her words was a growing chant from her new loyal subjects. The walls echoed with the sounds of their chant…

"Aoede… Aoede… Aoede…"

* * *

Thousands of kilometers away in a small traditional house in Kumamoto, the sun was still a few hours from peeking above the tops of the mountains. Everyone in the house slept peacefully this night… except for one. Normally a deep sleeper, recent events didn't allow Linna Yamazaki such rewards. Her dreams almost always were disturbed with monsters from her real life horrors. And as such, she was never far from consciousness. So it wasn't unusual for Linna to suddenly find herself staring at the ceiling in her room, wondering what had roused her... much as what happened this particular time. What was unusual was the thing breaking her rest was outside of her nightmares this time, as she quickly realized when she heard the same voice again in the bed just to her right.

"… _aoede…"_

"Huh? Priss??" Her eyes popped open and Linna immediately shot up from the bed, drawn to the sound and to the strange light coming from the bed next to hers in her room.

"… _aoede…"_ The raspy, single word breathed from Priss' lips was repeated again.

Linna sat on her knees, leaning over the top of Priss but frozen in place. An eerily familiar sight made her pause and reconsider. "Am I… am I awake??" She pinched herself on the cheek much harder than she needed to, but it delivered her an answer in the form of a stinging ring of pain. "OWWwwww!!!" she yelped, rubbing her face. She cast a very worried glance back down at a greenish glow coming from Priss' chest and hoped to god that it didn't mean what she feared it did.

Priss chest rose under the thin blanket covering her and another dry, almost broken word escaped from her lips. _"… aoede…"_

"Priss? Priss, can you hear me?" Linna begged, taking one of the woman's hands into her own and holding it to her chest. "Priss, please wake up! I know you haven't really talked to me yet, but, its only been a few days now… not even a week since you showed up on my doorstep. C'mon, you can do it! Just, snap out of it! I know your still in there Priss. Please, damnit, come back to me!!"

The glowing light flickered momentarily in her chest, then began to dim. Within a few moments, the light completely faded away returning Linna's bedroom back to her familiar comforting darkness. Linna nervously rubbed the scar on her abdomen, still holding Priss' hand with her other one. A sudden jerk in the palm of her hand elicited a gasp from her chest, and then a brief moment of elation. "Priss? Are you awake? Can you hear me??"

A low but familiar voice reached to her from the darkness. "… linna…"

Her heart now racing, Linna squeezed back with her own trembling hand. "Yes Priss"

"… linna…" she repeated again, returning the squeeze of their connecting hands. "… so… tired…"

"It's okay Priss. You're here, at my house. Everything's going to be all right now. Just… just get some rest."

"… so tired…"

Linna felt Priss' hand go slack. Nervously, she brought both their intertwined hands to the lying woman's chest. She found it still rising and falling, a reassuring sign in her nerve wracked mind. Gently, Linna arranged Priss' arm back on the bed and felt around the blankets to make sure she was still covered appropriately in the cool spring evening.

She collapsed back in her makeshift bed on the floor and finally let out her breath. But even as she did, her mind dredged up the memories of the first time she had seen a glow from the chest like that. Then, it had been Sylia under the influence of Galatea. This time, Linna held out hope that it was just residual affects from Priss' encounter in space with the reportedly destroyed child god and not a sign of something more potentially damning. Wiping away stray tears from her cheeks, she tried to reassure herself.

"Everything's going to be okay now. It… it just has to be."

* * *

Dr. Sasaki shined the light into each pupil, gauging the response in Priss' eyes, as she lay motionless on the bed. "Hmm," he cryptically replied.

"What?" Linna queried nervously while standing behind him.

Apparently ignoring her, he reached one hand next to Priss' left ear and snapped his fingers while keeping his attention on her face. "Hmmm."

"What??"

Dr. Sasaki examined Priss' arm next, not wavering in his focus on the patient. "Hmmmmm."

"WHAT???"

The doctor turned an agitated eye at Linna for just a moment before silently turning back around to continue his examination.

"You just need to be patient dear," Misa calmly spoke behind Linna, placing one hand on her shoulder.

"Hummph!" She shrugged off her mother and stomped out of her room. Turning at the doorway she spun around the slammed her back against the wall in frustration. _I don't have the patience to be patient right now! _The nervous fluttering in her stomach mirrored her inward thoughts. On top of that, she found it hard to focus due to what felt like the beginnings of a migraine.

Curiosity caused Linna to pause quietly for a second and listen to the sounds from her room through the wall for a clue as to what was going on. For a few moments she heard a few rustles of activity… and then another "Hmmm." That was more than she could take.

Holding one hand to her buzzing head, Linna trudged into the bathroom and popped out three painkilleres. She swallowed them with a cup of cool water and slumped over the sink. She buried her face into her hands and for just a moment listened to nothing but the buzzing in her head. It was a nearly constant hum, reminding her of the static one would hear on the television set when a station went off the air. Something about the static drew her attention though. Just a slight modulation, but it pulled her deeper into the noise. With her eyes closed, the volume of the sound seemed to grow in intensity the more she focused. Then, like the familiar sight of a Kumamoto landmark, she found her way, knew where she was and where she was going. In Linna's mind a door appeared in the midst of the static. She reached for the handle. Just as she touched it, a shock to her shoulder jolted her back to reality, her eyes popping open and dissipating the door in her mind..

"He's done dear," Misa spoke to her reflection in the mirror.

Linna spun around too quickly to face her mother. She leaned back into the sink, her balance still disoriented from the 'out of body' experience. "Wha… what did he say?" she struggled, one hand going to her pounding head.

Her mother's mouth opened to speak but was cut off by Dr. Sasaki's voice in the hallway.

"You are just as impatient now as you were after your knee surgery. You are aware of that, aren't you Ms. Yamazaki?"

Linna's face flushed with the truth of his words and she bowed weakly in recognition.

"Good. Your friend needs time to recover. She's obviously suffered a serious physical and mental trauma, which unfortunately isn't that uncommon for survivors from Tokyo from what I've seen and read. You understand this, yes?"

Linna nodded, listening intently through the buzzing in her head.

"Since you are reluctant to bring her in for **proper** evaluations, I can only stress to you the importance of being cautious for any signs of sudden change in her demeanor and behavior. Call me immediately if you notice any significant changes."

She nodded a few more times even as she started to struggle to maintain her focus.

"I'll be back in a month to see if she's made any progress," the doctor waved on his way out the door.

Linna wasn't paying any attention now, the buzzing in her head lowering a static filled fog in her mind.

"Are you okay honey?" Misa asked, noticing the glazed look in Linna's eyes.

She blinked twice, the violet color fading then returning to her eyes as she responded to her mother. "I… I'm just tired mom. Its been hard to get sleep lately."

Her mom hugged her gently. "Why don't you lie down and take a nap then. I'll get you up for lunch if you're feeling better in a couple of hours."

"Thanks."

The door closed and Linna sat down in her bed, setting a fresh glass of water next to her on the nightstand with a few more pills just in case things got worse. She was tired, but she had no intention of resting at the moment. The former Green Knight Saber closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She turned her thoughts inward, back into the static and towards the virtual door she had 'rediscovered'. It only took a few seconds, but she found herself there again.

With a push from her virtual hand, the door opened and instantly Linna was sucked into a swirling whirlpool of light. Her body exploded over the pain threshold, her ears ringing like she was inside of a school bell. Nausea swept over her for a brief instant… and then quiet.

Linna opened her eyes to find herself in the center of a darkened mammoth cave. The ground squished under her feet, the noise echoing far down either direction of the cave. Linna's eyes nervously peered downward and inspected the texture of the cave. Its surface pulsed and oozed, much like flesh. Linna began to seriously doubt whether or not she was awake any longer. "What happened? I thought… I thought I could reach Priss through that door."

"It's not safe," an echoing voice called from behind her.

Linna spun around to face the voice and found herself staring down at a child in a school uniform. "Who are you?"

"You shouldn't have come. It's not safe anymore."

"What do you mean? What's not safe?" she asked, inching closer to the little girl and noticing her face's familiarity.

"Something bad is going to happen. It always does," an older voice fired at Linna from the side.

She spun around to her right and found an older version of the girl leaning against the side of the cave. This version wore ragged jeans and a T-shirt, with a red bandana tied around her left arm. "Why do you think something bad is going to happen?" Linna replied trying to play along as she attempted to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Because it has before. She was here and she did this," a voice more mature than the T-shirted teenager spoke from behind Linna.

Turning past the other two girls, Linna found herself staring at someone who was most definitely a younger version of Priss… but older than the other two girls that were talking to her. This version was decked out in an oversized black leather jacket and blue jeans. "Who was here? What did she do?"

"The one who wanted to fly to the heavens, the one that wanted to make men fear, the one who destroys, the woman from hell," a fourth Priss spoke from yet another point behind Linna.

Her head swiveled around to find this one wearing her red leather performance outfit. "You mean… Galatea… did this?"

"I… I don't know Linna… I'm not sure… it… how can this be…" yet another voice drew Linna's attention back around, past the other four versions of Priss.

She stopped and stared at the beaten and bloodied figure of Priss Asagiri, the woman who had nearly died for her in space. This one was clothed only in a thin, torn, white robe, its fabric stained in multiple maroon splotches. Linna's heart and soul immediately reached out to this 'vulnerable' Priss. She ran to her side, gathering her into a reassuring hug. "Priss, its going to be okay now. I'm here to help you. Together… together we'll find a way to make everything alright."

"No you can't," the youngest Priss challenged.

"It's just a lie," the one donning the bandana added.

Linna's heart filled with rage. "NO ITS NOT!! I… I mean it! We'll get through this together."

"Why? So you can wind up dead too!?" the black cladded Priss shot back.

"In each other, we find death, knocking at our door," the lyrical Priss strung together a few chords as well.

"That's the way it always comes," the school aged Priss agreed.

"Right through the front door," the bandana'd Priss punctuated, making her hand into the shape of a gun and holding it to her own forehead, then 'pulling the trigger'.

"You can't say that! DON"T SAY THAT!!" Linna screamed at the other Priss', before turning her attention back to the one in her arms. "It's not that bad. You're here, in my home. I'll take care of you Priss. I won't let anything happen to you now."

Without warning, the ground shook ferociously under her feet and all of them crouched to the floor of the cave.

"She's coming," the young Priss announced, fear shaking her voice.

Linna felt the fear in the Priss in her arms too. "Who's coming??" she demanded.

"It's her fault!," the bandana'd Priss accused, pointing a finger at the weakened Priss in Linna's arms.

"She's too weak. She can't handle it anymore," the dark Priss agreed.

"Too soft in spirit, too weak in mind, one last breath, one last time," the singer riddled.

A piercing scream ripped through the walls of the cave, nearly deafening Linna.

"She's here," the other five Priss' announced in unison as Linna turned to face the direction of the scream.

Out of the darkened depths of the cave flew a shining blue beacon of death, one that Linna instantly recognized. "GET OUT NOW!!!" The Blue Knight Saber roared from the end of the cavernous nothing with jets blazing, knucklebomb cocked back ready to strike, streaking directly for Linna.

She held on to the vulnerable Priss and tried to close her eyes, but couldn't. She tried to say "Stop!", but before she could even get the words out, it was too late. The Blue Saber's knucklebomb exploded in her chest, ripping into Linna's mind. Her eyes surged with light and all her senses overloaded.

The next thing Linna knew, she was lying on her back off of her bed, staring at the ceiling. Almost immediately she became aware of the deafening silence that had now replaced the mental conduit she had just traveled. But she had other concerns at the moment. "Priss?" Linna spoke while fumbling upright, crawling onto her bed and toward the bedridden woman. However, she stopped halfway across her bed because of what she saw in the other one.

Sitting upright was Priss, her eyes flared wide open, staring into the wall.

"Priss??" Linna called worriedly, unsure of what was happening.

The sound of her voice appeared to attract Priss' attention as her head swiveled almost supernaturally towards her spot on the bed. Priss' brown eyes focused and refocused on Linna's pale violet ones. And yet she didn't speak.

"Priss?" Linna nervously prodded, her body starting to shake from the effects of the Knight Saber's attack on her mind.

The other woman's eyes shifted away from Linna, her head ratcheted back to the front. Then, without another warning, she let out a mind-splitting scream the likes of which Linna had never heard before, almost like the combination of five different screams in one. It instantly shattered the glass of water on the nightstand next to Linna, splashing her with its cold contents. It was all she could do to just cover her ears from the vocal blast, one that brought Linna's mother running into the room as fast as she could.

* * *

To be continued… 

A/N: Finished in Thailand :)


	20. Ch 19: Somewhere I Belong

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 19 – "Somewhere I Belong"

* * *

_April 2041, Kumamoto, Japan_

Misa carefully opened the door to Linna's room, peeking her head inside. Only one of the two beds was occupied, but the woman who was there appeared to be sleeping comfortably. Of course, anything would be comfortable compared to the events of two days ago. The deathly screaming that tore through the house for nearly fifteen straight minutes was something Misa never ever wanted to have to endure again. She glanced at the digital clock, the numbers glowed 6:12 am back at her. Leaving Priss sleeping in the bedroom, Misa padded away to find Linna's whereabouts.

Her first stop was the kitchen and it didn't reveal any clues. Neither did the living room nor the front porch. However, when Misa poked her head outside the front door she heard a clinking noise around the side of the house. Still dressed in her nightgown, she softly drew the door closed and glided through the meeting room and to the doors guarding the side porch. The door slid open with a gentile wisp, drawing the attention of the woman sitting on the other side.

Linna's unruly hair splayed out in the morning breeze as she shifted sideways to see who was behind her. Her red face glowed in the morning sunshine as it illuminated her surprise. "Oh, its just you mom. I was… I'm just glad its not dad right now," she admitted, cradling a bottle in her right arm while holding a half full glass in her left hand. The color in her cheeks and the slight slur to her voice told Misa everything she needed to know about the contents of the bottle… even though the tone of her daughter's voice had given it away already.

The elder Yamazaki let out a soft sigh before taking a seat next to her daughter. With a gentle smile, she held out one hand expectantly but silently.

Linna curiously gazed down at the hand for a moment. Then, a flash went off in her mind and she handed the half full glass to the hand, giving her mother a brief smile in return. Although she only took a peek into her mother's eyes, the stern rebuttal they conveyed was obvious. "What?" she slurred innocently. "I thought you wanted some."

Misa took the glass and unceremoniously poured its contents over the side of the porch. She set the glass on the opposite side from Linna and held out her hand expectantly once more.

Linna stared at the ground with her mouth hung open. "What did you do that for? That was good sake!!"

"Hand it over," her mother persisted, motioning towards the bottle.

"I don't wanna," Linna protested, pouting slightly and turning away from her mother, lifting her nose up. A few moments of silence passed and Linna lowered her gaze to peek at her mother again. It hadn't relaxed in the least. She peered down at the hand, then back to her bottle, then back and forth one more time. "Please??" Linna begged one last time, clutching the bottle nearly hard enough to break it.

"That's enough," the mother spoke calmly enough to finally cause Linna to relax her grip.

Bowing her head in defeat, Linna passed the bottle over with both hands, not looking at her mother.

Misa took it and set it down on the far side of the porch next to the glass. "So, what's with the liquid breakfast?"

"Just thirsty," Linna said with a crooked smile on her face.

"Nice try," Misa parried. She paused in thought for a moment, before glancing down and speaking. "You know, you can't help Priss get better if you can't be strong yourself."

Linna's eyes flared from their focus point off in the distance. Her mouth opened to speak, but no words came from her mouth. She slumped into the floor, her hand clutching her chest.

Misa seemed to feel her daughter's pain as she gave a painful look over at her daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Linna pulled back from the touch as she withdrew inwardly. "I not that strong. I can't be that strong."

"How can you say that?" her mother retorted sharply.

"Because!" Linna shouted at her mother for a moment, before seeing the shock in her eyes. Her own face filled with guilt. "… because… I… I can't reach her anymore. I… I'm afraid mom. I'm so afraid…" she finally admitted, tears welling up from deep within.

Misa cautiously put one arm around Linna's shoulders. "And that's where you have to start from Linna. What? What are you afraid of?"

Linna sniffled as she looked away from her mother, her eyebrows burrowing in thought. "That… that I've talked to her for the last time. That she'll never recognize me again. That the reason she is this way is because of Galatea."

"Is that it?" her mother asked in a knowing voice.

Linna paused for a second then glanced into her mother's eyes. "No. I'm afraid that she'll never love me again mom. That, everything we fought for is dead now. Its like a curse. I can look and remember, but I can't feel what we had before any more… and… I don't want it to be gone forever. I just… there's no way to get it back now."

"But you don't believe that. If you did, you wouldn't have spent six months looking for her, would you have?"

The younger Yamazaki lifted her shoulders up just a touch, with the hint of a smile spreading from one corner of her flushed cheek. Her violet eyes shimmered as she spoke. "No, I guess not."

"Of course not. You just need to have some patience and a lot of faith dear. And we'll be here to help anyway we can," her mother added with a reassuring squeeze of her arm.

Linna patted Misa's hand as it rested on her shoulder. However, a small frown took the place of the happiness. "Are you sure dad feels the same way?"

Misa gazed down into the grass and let out a soft sigh. "Let me work on your father a little more, okay? He… I don't think he's as sure about this as he will be in time."

"I hope you're right," Linna sighed to herself.

They sat together in silence for a time, watching the orange, morning sunrise over the mountains in the East. After the bottom edges cleared the mountain peaks, Misa took her leave, but not before collecting the glass and the sake.

Linna sat for a little while longer, her mind running with her mother's encouraging words intermixed with her lingering fears. Soon the suns rays became too bright, forcing Linna to lift her legs up and hide her head between her knees. In the darkness, she saw a brief vision… Priss floating away from her…into the endless emptiness of space… a lone tether floating behind her in a crazy spiral fashion. She cradled her legs together and shut out the world, blocking any more visions from her troubled mind. But in that same emptiness something else began to speak to Linna. Whispers of her past… doubts about her grades in school, doubts about her talent in track, doubts that she could ever play again after her knee injury, doubts about her life goals, doubts about ever finding the Knight Sabers, doubts that she could pilot a hardsuit…

But Linna smiled because she knew what those doubts meant. Those doubts drove the same reaction in Linna each and every time… they drove her to prove them wrong. The determination that drove her grades in school, her speed on the track, her months of physical therapy, her flight to Tokyo, her search for the Knight Sabers and her willingness to be the best pilot of the green hardsuit that she could.

With that same determination, she lifted her head up to the sun. She let the warmth run over her skin for just a moment before standing upright, but having to pause to stretch the soreness from her aching legs. Then with purpose, she strode through the door into the house and marched into her room, albeit quietly to keep from disturbing Priss. Linna silently drifted next to the bed and reached for her end table. There, she slid open the wooden drawer and lifted out a small necklace. She slipped the rough material over her neck and cradled the dark blue and crimson pendant in her scarred right hand, her physical tether to the old Priss of her memories.

She glanced down at the unconscious woman and spoke only to herself. "I'll stay by your side Priss. I won't leave and I won't give up. You wouldn't give up on me, and I won't let you down now. I'll help you through this." As she spoke, the tension built in her voice, the meaning swelling behind the words. Tightly, she gripped the sharp pendant from the Blue hardsuit again, drawing a fresh drop of blood from her hand. "I love you Priss… and… I'm never going to let you go now that you're here… _never_."

* * *

_April 2041, Kumamoto, Japan_

Linna lifted the spoon to Priss' face, delicately balancing the liquid mix her mother had put together. Taste wasn't its strong point, but it was definitely full of many nutrients the woman's body desperately needed to help her recover.

Just as the spoon hit her lips, Priss turned her face, spilling the contents onto the large towel draped over her chest, adding a fourth stain to the growing mess on the white fabric.

"C'mon Priss, you've got to start eating something!" Linna complained in frustration. She shook her head, wondering if her mother ever had these problems with her as a child. But looking into Priss' glazed over eyes she saw the gist of the problem. She wasn't feeding a physical child, just a mental one. For just a moment, Linna looked beyond the child in those eyes and spoke to the woman hiding behind them. "Priss, what… what do you want to eat."

She'd asked that particular question for three days now with no answer. She really didn't expect one now either. However, a brief spark in those deep brown eyes gave her a ray of hope.

Priss turned her head towards Linna and said one word. "… mustard…"

The spoon hit the floor right behind Linna's jaw. "OH MY GOD!!!" she screamed, diving across the bed and into Priss with a huge hug, staining her own shirt with the mess on the towel. Linna whispered into Priss' ear as she gripped her tightly. "I'll go get you a one liter jar of mustard and pour it over whatever you want."

Linna ran into the pantry and began digging through every bottle, looking for the elusive ingredient. All the while, Priss simply stared at the bedroom doorway the strange woman had run through.

* * *

_May 2041, Kumamoto, Japan_

Hirata sat down at the dinner table, gathered up his napkin and picked up his chopsticks. He smiled a thank you towards his already seated wife and inhaled the fragrant aroma of another well-cooked meal. Stabbing some of the food onto the utensils, he brought the delicacy to his mouth and was just about to take the all-sacred first bite when he heard a cough from across the dining room.

Looking up from his plate, he took sight of his daughter standing nervously at the dining room entrance. The reason for her nervousness wasn't hard for him to determine… since it was standing right next to her dressed in Linna's clothes. Priss stood with her characteristic blank stare, arms dangling by her sides with Linna clinging onto one of them.

"Um… I was wondering… if… well, if you don't mind that is… er, I was thinking… maybe Priss could eat with us tonight?" Linna managed to stammer.

Hirata frowned for just a moment, shifting his glare between the two young women. Finally he opened his mouth to speak and said "I… OWW!!" His hand shot under the table to rub the stinging sore on his right shin just as his eyes shot across the table at his wife.

She appeared to fold her napkin under her lap, pretending as if nothing had happened except for one brief but curt smile in his direction.

He grumbled under his breath before resuming his response. "I don't suppose there is anything wrong with helping her recovery along," he admitted.

A smile instantly shone on Linna's face. "Great! Now, you'll sit right here," she directed, helping Priss to get arranged at a seat at the far end of the six person table.

"And I'll go whip up some extra's for her right now," Misa added on quickly. However, she had no sooner than gone to the kitchen when she turned around and was back in the dining room again, a full plate of food in her hand.

"Whip up some extra's?" Hirata questioned sarcastically.

"Yes," Misa answered knowingly, while throwing a darting glare down at her husband's shins again.

He reflexively dropped one hand to protect his shin before cursing under his breath.

Misa smiled before getting back to setting up Priss' dinner.

Linna took a seat next to Priss and slid her own food down in order to sit next to her.

Silently, they all began to eat. Well, all except for Priss. It didn't take long for Linna to notice either. "Go ahead. You can start eating now," she encouraged smiling and nodding at her friend.

Priss' eyes widened, unsure. She glanced over at Linna, then across the table to her father, then back to Linna again.

Under the table, Linna placed a hand on Priss' leg and gave her a reassuring squeeze, nodding a smiling again.

Priss' face actually cracked a tiny smile. She picked up the chopsticks and delicately picked up a morsel of food, gingerly lifting it to her mouth and taking a bite.

For a few minutes, the four people continued to eat in silence, each of them focused on their meals. Hirata's pace was a bit faster than the others however, and as his plate grew empty his mind grew with questions.

"So how have you and your friend been sleeping Linna? Better I hope?" he asked, his tone sincere.

Linna swallowed her food and nodded again. "Yes, a little better."

"And how are you feeling Priss?"

The question appeared to surprise the other woman as she briefly choked on her food, drawing a gasp from Linna.

"Are you okay? Dad, don't surprise her like that!" Linna turned on her father.

Hirata's face tinted slightly red for just a moment. "I am sorry Linna. I just thought since she was able to eat with us that she would benefit from some conversation, that's all. I'm just trying to be polite."

"Try to be polite some other time!" Linna fired back.

"That's enough."

Linna turned to her scolding mother with a hurt look on her face.

Priss finally recovered enough to pick up her chopsticks and gingerly eat another bite. That appeared to calm Linna down as she turned her attention back to her own food.

Hirata let out a snort as he picked at his leftovers. "Linna, you are as sensitive as ever. You need to lighten up some. It's not as if I asked her about the secrets of that group… the Knight Sabers, you know."

Linna was the first to react, flinging her chopsticks at her father. "DAD!!!"

He deftly dodged, but before Hirata could even ask what he had managed to do wrong this time, his eyes and everyone else's became focused on Priss.

She let out a soft squeak, dropped her chopsticks and stared into the table holding her breath. Her entire body began to shake, causing the chair legs to scrape the floor beneath her. Priss' hands then slapped to her ears as if she was trying to block out a deafening roar. "… knight sabers… knight… sabers…knight… sabers…" she repeated, trancelike.

"Priss! PRISS!!" Linna tried to break through her friend's frozen mental state. She stood up from the table and grabbed onto Priss' arms. With strength she didn't know she had, Linna managed to help Priss stand and then led her back to her bedroom even as Priss continued to chant those words over and over.

After a few more tense moments, the sound of Linna's bedroom door closing left the two elder Yamazaki's in silence. It didn't last very long as Misa was quick to deliver her critique. "Dear, I have often admired your ability to express yourself in a direct and no nonsense manner." Taking a deep breath, Misa stood from the table, pushing her chair out with a little extra umpff. "However, this was not one of those times." And with that, she exited the dining room and disappeared around the corner, probably going for a walk outside if Hirata had read her right.

He surveyed the collection of half eaten food at the table around him and let out a defeated sigh. "I suppose I'm left to clean up the mess."

* * *

_May 2041, Switzerland_

"I'm going back to work now Henderson," Nene yelled over her shoulder, one hand on the front door of house.

"Very well Mistress Nene. Should I have dinner ready for you tonight?"

Nene paused for a moment. "I don't think so. I have got two new clients that want security demonstrations tomorrow, so I have to get ready for them tonight. I'll probably be in late so its just you and Sylia tonight."

She jumped out the door and down the porch to her waiting scooter. Hopping on, she motored down the long driveway and by the makeshift cemetery with its lone headstone, pausing to take a brief glance over at Nigel's final resting spot before turning towards the city for work.

Back in the house, Henderson began to think through dinner plans before sighing and gingerly shaking his head. "It will be dinner for one at the table tonight in most all likely hood. I doubt Mistress Sylia will be up from her new activities tonight either." Henderson knew that Sylia was secretly working on a 'new project' in the basement of the house. It was a project that she wanted to keep hidden from Nene and the others for some unknown reason. "Perhaps I should bring her dinner down there," he mused to himself.

Beneath the floor, Sylia took a long break, resting her sore joints. She knew she was in no shape for work like this. In fact, she probably had never been in the kind of shape needed for such manual work. Nigel had been the one to do the heavy work back then. However, he wasn't around to help her anymore, and that fact drove her that much harder.

Sylia picked up the welder and closed the shield over her face, drawing the arc over the bright metal once more. "If it's the last thing I do, I'm going finish this hardsuit and destroy you Galatea, no matter what form you take."

* * *

_June 2041, Kumamoto, Japan_

The brush gently stroked through the short, brown hair. Freshly washed and conditioned, it sparkled in the summer sunlight that sifted through the drawn curtains in Linna's bedroom. With one hand cradling the brush, Linna meticulously straightened out the wet locks in front of her. For it wasn't her own hair she brushed with this much attention to detail. This hair belonged to Priss.

They both sat on the bed, Priss on the end with her legs hanging off just as Linna had instructed. Behind her Linna sat with bare legs folded over. While one hand ran the brush repeatedly over the same section of scalp, her other hand rested on Priss' shoulder gently massaging the muscles there.

"Your hair is really starting to grow out now," Linna complimented. She couldn't see it, but a small frown appeared on Priss' face.

"Why?"

"Huh?" Linna stopped, surprised.

"Why do you always say that?"

The brush nearly fell out of Linna's hand as she froze in shock. "Um… because… well, it is getting longer every day. And, that's the first time since you showed up at my doorstep three months ago that you've started to sound like the old Priss." As awkward as the question might have been at first, Linna appeared to lose herself in the euphoria of her Priss coming back. With both arms she bear hugged Priss from behind and planted a soft kiss on her neck. They sat like that for a few moments, with Priss' arms remaining rigid by her sides. Linna looked down and saw Priss' fingers tremble ever so slightly. "What's wrong?" she asked confused, letting go of her.

"Why did you grab me like that? Why did you… kiss me??" Priss almost demanded.

Linna's face flushed, a sense of confusion washing over her. "I… because… I love you," she blurted out.

Sitting in front of Linna, Priss remained motionless. "… love…" she whispered, confusion clouding her speech.

Linna tensed up. "Yeah, I love you Priss." She waited patiently for Priss to respond, at first. But as the seconds ticked by, Linna began to fidget. First her fingers of her right hand traced the sharp outline of the hardsuit shard between her breasts. Then, as the silence began to further grate her nerves, her other hand began to mindlessly rub the scar in her abdomen.

But before Linna could explode with tension, Priss finally responded. It wasn't exactly what Linna was hoping for though. Priss stood up and began to walk out of the room.

"Wait! Where…" Linna pleaded desperately at first before restraining herself.

Priss stopped halfway to the door. "Outside," she spoke without emotion, giving Linna no clue whatsoever.

Linna stayed on the bed and watched Priss walk out of the bedroom door in her pajamas, sliding the door closed behind her. Her eyes darted back and forth, focusing on everything but seeing nothing in the room. Her eyes and mind were following Priss outside. Her hand squeezed hard on the pendant, fresh drops of blood fell on her legs and ran onto the bed, speckling the white sheets with their brilliant color. Her ears tracked the sound of the front door opening and closing, then the sound of footsteps behind the house.

Linna stood and hurried over to the window to watch. There, Priss walked past her vision to the tall tree and stopped at its base. She placed on hand on the tree and stood still, looking out from the house and into the hilly forest around her country house. And even though Priss wasn't looking at Linna, she could still tell that she looked lost. A city girl lost in the country hills of Kumamoto. Linna's eyes flared briefly in a moment of clarity. "She doesn't belong here," she whispered to herself, the image of the tough, edgy Priss she remembered from Tokyo contrasting sharply with the rolling hills and soft countryside that she was so used to by now.

But even as those words escaped her lips, Linna bit back on her own thoughts. "No, we love each other! That's enough to make it work, isn't it?" she asked herself through the window. Linna lifted her hand to the window and 'touched' Priss through the glass plane. "You do still love me, don't you?" However, the words only bounced off the glass and back at her.

Linna continued to stare at Priss, who in turn stared at the countryside. All the while, beneath her outstretched palm streaks of blood oozed down the window, clouding her vision of the former Knight Saber with a thin, crimson stain.

As if she knew Linna was watching, Priss turned her head around. She rose her brown eyes to stare back into Linna's own for just a moment.

Even without her mind wasn't focused, when Priss' eyes found her own through the blood streaks, a chill shot through Linna's spine. An image of blood red eyes boring into her soul, trapped in the bowels of the Genom tower pierced her consciousness. Grabbing the sides of her head, Linna staggered away from the window, tripping over the bed and falling to the floor on her knees and elbows. "… no… no… go away… GO AWAY!!!" she screamed to the memories overtaking her sanity.

But at the root of her living nightmare was a merging of her fears. The image of Galatea was transformed. Even with her eyes clamped shut she could still see those blood red eyes staring at her… but the face that framed the eyes wasn't similar to Sylia's. No, this one was a different person. The demon terrorizing her mind had the pale, stoic face of Priss. "… no… it… it's not real… she… she doesn't exist… she doesn't exist…" Linna tried to convince herself, fighting back the memories of the last six months, the memories of just what Galatea tried to use her and Priss for, deep inside the now destroyed space umbrella.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	21. Ch 20: Stricken

A/N: It's been over 16 long months of writing on this one chapter...and here is the result. This is one of the longest chapters I have ever written. I have no idea how many discontinuities there might be since I stopped, started, rearranged and reworked so much of this chapter over the past year, but I wouldn't be surprised to find several of them. Hopefully it flows halfway decently. Any suggestions that anyone has, please don't hesitate to throw them out. I want to make sure that heading into the last chapter, I have the right focus and right aim or else I'm going to wind up screwing this all up. :P

And thanks to everyone who continues to read and support me as I finish this half-decade long marathon of a story. I'm not promising anything, but I really expect to get the final chapter done in relatively short order. :)

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 20 – "Stricken"

* * *

_From the World News Network, here's entertainment news for July 12th, 2041. With her domination of North America complete, the Aoede "Human Golem World Tour" now takes aim on Europe once again. And just as three months ago when the anointed "Goddess of Sound" first invaded the US, hordes of fans are following her every stop. By some estimates, the population of Switzerland, her first tour stop, has almost doubled due to the swell of fans just hoping to catch a glimpse. And we won't even get into the ticket availability and pricing, although we have heard rumors of scalpers fetching BMW's and even entire estates just for prime seating in the outdoor venues there. In other "Goddess" related news, reports continue to circulate throughout the Far East of a possible secret tour stop. Hong Kong and Beijing are among the most rumored sites, although one persistent notion and a possible "feel good" story is a fundraising stop in the boomer-ravaged city of Tokyo, Japan._

_And that's it for entertainment news. Now back to our headline story, today marks the beginning of week three of the European Union's hearings into the worldwide power grid/cube failure, and the focus is shifting back towards the former world conglomerate Genom once again…_

_

* * *

Washington DC, USA_

"So you're absolutely sure? They are an exact match?" the US Senator asked from across the meeting room table.

A pair of dark suited men sat at attention on the other side of the heavy mahogany table. "They are close enough to be almost certain. The material recovered from the Wiz Lab wasn't in prime condition, and certainly not in as good of shape as the sample from Switzerland. However, our agency isn't in the business of 'almost'. We took the liberty of comparing live notes with an ex-Genom researcher living in California. He was able to confirm our findings."

"And how fast is this advancing our program?" the Senator queried again, his hands clasping just at the edge of a large CIA emblem molded into the table.

"It has been accelerated as expected."

"That's good, but is it keeping pace with the Chinese?"

The two men paused, then glanced at each other briefly.

"Well, is it?" the Senator queried, impatiently.

"Our latest surveillance suggests that they are still ahead. The boost from acquiring one of the original Hardsuits is proving difficult to overcome."

"I see. However, I'm confident you have a recovery plan, correct?"

"Yes Senator Howard. We just need your approval to initiate the plan." One of the two suited CIA operatives reached below the table and lifted up a folder, the words "Top Secret" labeled several times over. He slid it to the Senator, raising his eyes to meet the older gentleman's.

The Senator didn't even bother to unclasp his hands, still joined together just at the rim of the CIA emblem. "I'm quite sure your team is aware of the importance of this project," he stated matter-of-factly. "Our committee met just before I came over for your briefing and we have already discussed this possibility. You have the Defense Commission's permission to initiate the plan."

"Yes sir. We will commence immediately. We will brief your team with updates every twelve hours."

* * *

_Over Central Europe_

The private jet flew low over the ice-capped mountains, giving the VIP passenger a gorgeous view. That passenger soaked in the beauty of the landscape, reveling in its majesty. The child-goddess smiled, her crimson eyes flashing in the bright summer sun blazing through the jets windows. "It's almost time for the family reunion," Aoede mused to herself, her smile growing as she considered the likely surprise on the rest of her 'relatives' faces.

On a whim, she closed her eyes and focused inward, projecting through the sky and into the land ahead. It didn't take her long to find the signs she was searching for. But then…

"Four? This is intriguing. Why four?"

In a very human manner, Aoede opened her eyes to the outside window again and curiously rubbed her chin.

"Four would make six. Which would mean… I have another stop to make," she smiled even a little more crooked than before.

* * *

_Kumamoto, Japan_

"No. I'll just stay here."

Priss' words didn't surprise Linna. But they still hurt just the same. "Okay then. I… I guess we'll see you when we get back. Bye," Linna waved awkwardly, walking towards the front door with her body turned sideways.

Priss didn't bother to reply. In fact, as Linna reflected on it after getting into her mother's new car, she couldn't remember the last time Priss had gone out of her way to even acknowledge her existence. It was as if Priss was nothing more than a shadow in the Yamazaki house. Always there, always silent, always hiding from the light. But as Linna thought back, she remembered that Priss didn't normally go out of her way to draw attention to herself. However, she certainly hadn't been afraid of the spotlight back then. Especially when it came to getting up on stage. It was then that Linna realized something else. "I haven't heard her sing. Not once."

"What's that dear?" Misa asked, stealing a glance over at her daughter as she drove the plainly decorated car.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud," she blushed. "It's just…" Linna paused, her mind fumbling with the words to express her feelings.

"Wondering why Priss didn't want to come into the city with us?" Misa broke in.

"Yeah, sort of," Linna sighed, "And just thinking about how different she still is from the Priss that I used to know."

"You of all people should know just how much trauma she's been through Linna. Just try to be patient, and to keep an open mind."

"An open mind?" Linna asked, worried.

"Just, try to be happy for who she is and what she can do now."

"What are you saying? That I should just be happy that she's staying in my house and barely remembers who I am?? No. That's not good enough mom!" Linna fought back defiantly.

Misa sighed softly. She brought the car to a stop at an intersection, and then turned left, merging with other traffic flowing into Kumamoto. "Traffic is light for a Thursday," she commented idly.

Linna stared silently out the window.

"Hopefully the stores aren't too crowded then," her mother continued after a kilometer or so.

She still received no other comment from her daughter.

"You know that I'm just worried about your well being Linna."

"And all I'm worried about is Priss," she spoke into the window, still staring out the passenger side, her voice pale and distant. It was a clear contrast to the fiery words spit forth earlier.

"But don't you think you might be too worried about her?"

That drew Linna's attention from the countryside and nearly into her mother's face, the fire quickly returning. "She almost gave her life to save me! She loves me! I love her and I want her to get back to the way she was… because I know she's a fighter inside and that's what she really wants!"

"But how do you know that's what she really wants now? You said yourself the mental link you shared was broken. You may not recognize it, but you are much different now than you were a year ago Linna. What makes you so sure that Priss hasn't changed too?"

"Because… because…" But she couldn't keep up the argument when they played so hard to her own fears.

"Linna, people do change. But you have to give them room to change on their own or else they'll find a way to change away from you."

"Away from you?" Linna asked, just a little confused.

"I know you love her Linna," her mother continued. "Just don't hold on too tightly. If you trust that she'll still love you in the future, you have to give Priss her own space, her own room."

Linna thought hard on that last statement, and thought back to her own reflections. "I love her so much… but I don't want to let her go, not after we fought so hard to stay together. I just don't want to... no, I can't let her go."

* * *

_Secret Testing Facility, Remote Western China_

The group of men huddled in the control room, focusing intently on the monitors and displays set up in several locations. Several small monitors were part of stations, manned by white-coated technicians. A couple of the huddled men standing behind them wore white lab coats as well. A few more were decked out in contrasting Chinese military uniforms.

One of the technicians turned in his seat and spoke to another lab worker standing behind him. "The team is ready and in position, director sir."

"Very good," he replied, turning to the four starred military officer next to him. The Test Director bowed slightly, the only request needed after months of preparations and testing.

"Commence the test," the officer ordered.

"Commence the test," the Director repeated to the entire control room.

One technician keyed his microphone. "Xiana, begin!"

On the largest monitor in the room, a side view detailing a silver humanoid shape took form. Pixilated at first, the resolution quickly cleared to show the female, humanoid shape hunch down in spring like fashion. Then, a blue blast of rockets exploded from the back of it, shooting it high into the air. Several monitors tracked the progress of this humanoid shape from several different angles as it leapt high above mock buildings constructed in a desert area.

"Phase one complete. Hardsuit response within normal parameters," one of the seated technicians announced.

"Good. Initiate phase two," the director ordered.

Two technicians to the right both nodded and began manipulating the keyboards at their stations.

On two screens, gun and missile batteries popped from hidden parts of the mock buildings and began to track the hardsuit. Within seconds, they both opened fire on the flying object. Instantly the hardsuit began evading the gunfire and missiles with relative ease. The thrusters pivoted on the back of the suit, pushing the pilot towards the ground and away from the high arcing fire. The hardsuit gracefully landed on two feet and a hand as the pilot swiveled her head side to side, scanning the immediate area.

"Hardsuit response still within normal parameters. Phase two complete," a technician reported.

"How is the pilot," one of the military men queried.

"Vitals and biorhythms are good sir," another technician off to the side quickly replied.

The Test Director nodded, glancing over at a few of the screens, appearing to inspect the silver hardsuit, one shoulder emblazoned with the red Chinese Star. "Begin phase three."

"Beginning phase three," a technician replied in turn.

On cue, two bulky mechs ripped through walls on either side of the hardsuit. Each was easily twice the size of the sleek female form, but more than twice as slow. One charged the hardsuit from the front, its sledgehammer arms swinging wildly in its direction.

The coiled hardsuit sprung up and over the advancing mech, tapping on the top of its helmet as she flipped over. Landing on deft feet, the Chinese hardsuit spun away from an attempted punch and kick from the lumbering attacker. The pilot took a line and pushed the hardsuit through the gap between the two mechs. Her plan was simple. Take the least expected route and maneuver around the unsuspecting mech for a counterattack. It was a well thought out and calculated plan.

"Sir, we have signs of feedback!" one of the techs yelled out.

"Abnormal brain activity confirmed."

"Hardsuit response erratic. Primary algorithm failure!"

The test director didn't waste any time, immediately punching the red button on the panel just in front of him. "Abort the test!"

Xiana didn't hear the order to abort. She couldn't hear anything except for the sharp pain that rang her ears like a drum…just when she was directly between the two large foes. Her hardsuit stopped jarringly, her back arched almost into a "U" shape, her hands holding the sides of the helmet trying vainly to block out the invisible sounds.

The two mechs were already taking advantage of her vulnerable position. Both of them swung down at her small, prone frame. The stop signal caught the closer mech first, its armored fist dodging up and out of the way just in time. The signal to the other mech was a fraction of a second late though. Its fist pounded into the side of the hardsuit, smashing it several meters sideways into the air. It slammed hard into the concrete wall of the false one story building, collapsing the wall and sending tons of material crashing down onto the hardsuit.

"No! Xiana!!" one of the techs yelled out. Several other lab people and even one of the military members audibly gasped as the wreckage piled on top of the test pilot, the cloud of debris blocking the view on all the cameras.

The director quickly took action. "Pilot status!"

"High screech feedback still!"

"That means she's still alive under there. Shut down all the suits systems remotely except for life support. Direct the mechs to clear the debris immediately. Send out the standby recovery unit."

"Recovery unit already deployed sir," one of the techs reported in.

As the screens began to clear away, the picture of two robotic mechs pulling chunks of concrete and steel beams became visible.

Behind the chaos of the failed test, one of the military attaché's stepped out of the control room and pulled a phone from his pocket. Whispering into the device, he flashed his eyes through the glass window of the door over to the four star, making a slight gesture with his free hand.

The senior officer nodded, then turned and tapped on the test director's shoulder. "Can I have a word with you outside?"

"But… but we need to…"

"This is more important. Its about the second prototype," the officer added.

The director gave a couple of pained glances back at the screens, watching the debris being cleared away. He sighed and then followed the officer out into the hallway. Bowing his head, he started on the apology. "I know these failures are unforgivable…"

The high-ranking military man cut off his apology with a matter of fact tone. "The plan is still on schedule even with these delays. However the Americans' are forcing our hand."

"The Americans'?" the director asked.

"Yes," the other officer nodded, placing his phone back into his jacket pocket. "They've initiated a recruiting sweep."

"We have to respond as soon as possible," the senior officer summarized. "How soon will the second prototype be ready?"

The white-coated scientist closed his eyes, his hand rubbed on his chin. "I think we can have it ready in a week with accelerated core sync's… pending the lessons learned from today's testing of course."

The four star bowed in response, then shoved both hands into his jacket pockets and started to walk past the scientist. But he turned his head sideways just as he crossed in front of the elder technician. "You have two days."

"Two days!?! But that doesn't leave even enough time…"

"Give me the best that you can in forty eight hours from now," the military man reiterated, turning away and walking down the hall with his attaché in tow, leaving the technician scrambling in his wake.

* * *

_Kumamoto, Japan_

She sat into the bed and folded her arms over her knees. Sinking her short brown hair low, Priss rested her forehead onto her wrists. Closing her eyes, she did what she had done numerous times over the last few days. Priss pictured herself back in Tokyo, sitting on top of the Lady 633 building. Sylia and Nene sat at the table opposite of her. And to her right, Linna sat quietly, paying attention to the conversation at hand. Priss focused harder on Linna's features, trying to draw forth the essence of the moment. There was something in particular about that moment which kept pulling her back to the past, back to that time.

And like she had done so many times in the last few days, Priss thought back to the words, the conversation.

"_So you do want a litter of your own?"_ Her own words, spoken nearly a year ago. They seemed to be spoken in an out of body experience now, not by herself but by someone else, a stranger in the mirror of her memories.

"When the time is right…" Linna's reply. She could picture her violet eyes struck with fire and determination.

But, the harder she focused back on that memory, the more unreal it seemed. She could mentally picture everything, but she couldn't remember how she felt at the time, or if she even felt anything at all. Then fast-forwarded in time, another memory, at the hospital after the accident holding Linna in her arms after the injured Saber had fallen out of bed. And again, even with the vivid pictures… no emotion… none at all.

Her eyelids lifted open to pass the soft light, slipping in through the bedroom window. The present filled her consciousness again, pulling her head upright. Priss flipped both hands over and stared into her palms, studying them as if the hidden clues of the lost parts of her mind would magically appear in the lines in her hands. But they didn't. It wasn't frustration that laid her hands back down again, just a tiring sense of soreness in her weakened forearms. Daily exercises with her workout demon friend had helped the last few months, but she knew she wasn't where she wanted to be. Not yet, anyway.

But physically she was a lot closer to her old self than her fragmented mind was. Every day brought some of those fragments together again. Two months ago she barely had a few pieces in place. A month ago it was about half the picture. Now, most of the frame of her old life was back intact… but everything was painted in black and white. It was as if the color of emotions from her past had been sucked from her soul.

Priss' eyes panned up from her lap, falling onto Linna's computer sitting atop a small desk. With Linna constantly fawning over her, the computer really hadn't caught her attention before. Not that computers interested Priss much anyway. That was Nene's thing, or Sylia's, or even Nigel's. Suddenly, a thought struck Priss as she remembered one more piece to her past… Nigel… and what had become of him. He was part of the reason she joined the Knight Sabers in the first place. And then, during the final battle with Galatea, he had been attacked for his knowledge of the child-god's creation. A faint pulse of sorrow rose from the depths of her soul, and then quickly faded back into the grey fog again.

A lone tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto her lap. Priss gazed down at the watery mark, and then back at the computer, thinking. After a few moments, she had an idea. Pulling out the chair to the desk, she turned on the machine and found it not password protected… not surprising knowing Linna. A few clicks and she found what she suspected. Files stored on the computer included some badly shot live footage of Sekiria. She clicked on a longer one and sat back in the chair, taking in the sounds of her band… and herself. Priss closed her eyes and imagined herself on stage, the pulsing lights, the fist-pumping crowd, the pounding stage. But as real as it seemed, as intense as the memory was… the adrenaline was still missing. Priss opened her lips, her vocal cords flexed… but no song would come… no emotion was inside, screaming to explode out as it had in her past.

The former singer sighed, closing the video files. She paused for a second more, then glanced at the computer desktop. A file folder caught her attention there… "e-mail archive" it read. Another thought passed her mind and she double clicked the file. The window opened and a list of hundreds of files scrolled across the screen. Priss knew which ones to look for though, and it didn't take long for her to locate them. Three particular files she opened all at once. As she read the first one, a few more of the pieces of her past clicked into place.

The files were the three e-mails that Linna sent to her after the accident. They were the e-mails that had drawn Priss to Kumamoto, to that fountain. But Priss wasn't focused on those events now. She struggled to pull back her memory of the e-mails, and the song that they had spawned. She read those e-mails for an hour trying to relive the ebb and tide they had caused her in that library back in Tokyo.

But in the end, an hour later, all she could do was push herself back from the desk. She rolled into the bed and settled onto her back. She remembered her old trailer, lying in bed the same exact way, sleepless for hours. That had forced a ride out in the city, which in turn helped create the song. Perhaps it was the freedom she didn't have now. No transportation, no independence. But those e-mails… the words rolled in her mind. The memories, the actions they had put into motion. The first meeting at the fountain wasn't what she was looking for when she rode out to Kumamoto. But when she shared the mental link with Linna, in the space umbrella, after rescuing Linna from Galatea and herself. Then they had recreated the meeting at the fountain. And then…

The front door slid open with a loud clunk. "We're home!" Linna's expectant voice.

Priss waited for a moment, but only heard steps in the kitchen. Shuffling and more steps told her they were likely unloading groceries from town. She stared into the ceiling, recalling the memories of the fountain, the e-mails, the band, Linna's desperation and anguish.

Approaching footsteps drew Priss from her introspection and into Linna's warm face.

"Hi. How are you feeling?" Linna asked, stopping at the doorway and inspecting her friend. The younger Yamazaki leaned against the doorframe, dressed in blue jeans and a light green tank top.

Priss noticed her clothes this time, taking in the slim woman with careful eyes. Still lying on the bed, she turned her head towards Linna and looked her up and down.

"Um, Priss? What are you doing?" Linna asked nervously, feeling somewhere between a fashion model and a piece of meat by the gaze of the other woman's eyes. She was just about to cross her arms over her body when Priss swung her legs off the bed and stood up.

With deliberate steps, Priss slowly walked up to Linna without saying a word.

Linna swallowed hard, nervously shifting her eyes away from the brown ones still intensely staring at her. "…priss?…"

Priss searched into Linna's eyes for a moment, pulling her pale violet eyes focus back to the front, their faces separated by the thinnest of margins.

Linna held her breath, unsure of what Priss might say or do next. She certainly wasn't expecting for Priss to do what she actually did… which was to take the sides of Linna's face with her hands and plant a soft kiss directly on her lips.

Linna's eyes closed and for just a moment, every agonizing, painful memory of the last brutal year faded away into serene nothingness. The simple feel of Priss' moist lips lifted her spirits higher than she could have ever imagined. Her beating heart thumped loudly in her ears. Her skin crawled with goose bumps even while her cheeks flushed with radiant sunbeams of heat. And her soul knew, this is all she ever wanted… to be loved by the person she so admired for so very long now.

Then it ended. The kiss was broken as Priss backed away. Linna opened her eyes and found confusion written over Priss' face. "What? What's wrong??" she pleaded, panicking.

Priss didn't answer verbally. Instead she did what usually did during these uncomfortable moments lately… and that was to just walk away. Except this time Linna wasn't going to just let her leave.

"Wait! Priss, talk to me dammit!!" Linna kept up with her stride for stride as Priss walked past her out of their bedroom, through the hallway, into the foyer and out the front door. "Priss! Priss, stop! Please!!!"

But she wouldn't… at least not yet. She turned right and walked around the side of the house, still not responding to Linna's begging voice.

Linna's desperation finally boiled over. Stepping up her pace she caught up to Priss and grabbed onto her. She hadn't thought about the consequences until her hand slapped down hard on Priss' shoulder, causing the other woman to suddenly stop in her tracks.

"Um… err…" Linna stammered, now very aware of her rash act. At the first sign of movement from Priss, Linna flinched, shutting her eyes tightly, expecting a harsh reprimand. That's the reaction the old Priss would have probably delivered. Instead, after a few moments of silence, Linna opened her eyes to someone else… an indifferent Priss.

"That's the problem," Priss spoke calmly.

"Wha…?"

"I can see the confusion. It's practically scribed on your forehead. Your wondering, 'What is she thinking? What is she feeling?' The problem is the answer: nothing."

"Nothing? Then… the kiss…" Linna's words froze in her heart. She didn't want to think about what they really meant.

"I had to find out. I had to know. I can remember everything now. I can see it all like a moving picture… just with no sound… with no emotion."

"No… no emotion?!"

A hint of sadness crossed the back of Priss' eyes for just a moment, and then faded into the blank nothingness of her pale sideways stare. "I remember the accident. I remember the fountain. I remember Tokyo bay and I remember fighting in space. I remember all those things… but I can't feel any of it. Worse yet, I… I can't feel anything for you, Linna. Not even when we just kissed. It's just not there anymore. Just an empty hole, that's all that I can see now… just empty."

A cold still settled in from the mountains as the reality of the words sank deep into Linna's heart. But yet… she gripped the pendant around her neck tightly and let out a small crack of a smile. "It's okay. You've been through so much and come so far. It'll come with time. I know it will."

"But what if it doesn't?"

"Then I'll wait until it does."

Priss turned her back on Linna, facing the tall tree in the back yard of Linna's home. Her eyes turned past the tree and onto the trail to the lake. "I'm going for a walk."

"Then I'll go with you…" Linna added encouragingly.

"…alone," Priss finished, raising a hand to stop her.

Linna silently held her ground, her mind churning furiously, trying to think of a reason to go with her. Her eyes darted side-to-side, uncertain. But she knew that Priss was familiar with the trail by now. They had walked it together nearly a hundred times now. Linna looked up to spot Priss already disappearing behind the first line of trees. Then she was gone. "I have to do something… something…" she chided herself, biting on one finger. "Wait!" In that desperate moment, an idea did materialize in her head. She turned around and strode purposely back into the house.

A few minutes later, the new Yamazaki car sped off the grounds and into town for the second time in the day.

* * *

_Brugg, Switzerland_

Jill pulled her business jacket into place, buttoning the two halves of the navy blue material together. "How do I look?"

Katsumi glanced through her holo-display for the computer terminal to inspect her business partner. "Sharp as usual. You never disappoint," she winked at her friend.

"Hey! We've got to pull every string we can to win more business, right?" she winked back.

A two-tone ring from the front drew Jill's attention.

She glanced at her watch. "It's probably them."

"Syrinx corp?"

"We'll find out in just a minute." Jill turned and walked into the front room, letting the automatic door to their office slide shut behind her. In the room stood two men dressed in plain dark suits. One carried a leather briefcase. The other a couple of folders tucked under one arm. Something about their appearance didn't sit well with the former special ops member.

The man with the suitcase held out his free hand for the typical handshake greeting. Jill joined her human hand with his. "Jill Anderson. Glad to meet you…" she drew out expectantly.

"David Richards," he quickly replied, then nodded in the direction of the man next to him. "And my Associate Sales Rep of Europe, Sergei Kolov."

Sergei thrust out his hand and replaced David's as Jill welcomed him as well. "Good to be your acquaintance," the man spoke in English, but with an odd Russian accent.

"Thanks so much for considering our services," Jill began on her pitch. She turned to the side and held out her mechanical arm, directing the two men to the small conference room directly ahead of them, just to the right of the main office. "If you'll come this way, we will get started right away."

* * *

_Brugg, Switzerland_

In the alley behind the JNK Security Consultants office, a medium sized package delivery truck sat parked at one end blocking the only entrance to the alley. Its rear cargo door was facing the alley, but remained shut for the moment. Inside the truck, three Americans prepared for their 'delivery'.

"I'm patched into their network. It's top notch, no doubt," the lone woman stated.

"So the other is occupied now?" a man dressed in package delivery worker clothes asked.

"Affirmative," the computer specialist replied, checking her screens as she double checked the video feeds from the other two agents already inside the office.

"We have twenty minutes to pull this off," the other man dressed as a delivery worker announced.

"Roger that," the woman replied. "I should be ready to go in two minutes. Com check."

The two men looked at each other and nodded. "Check," the replied in unison.

"Let's go," the taller of the two men announced. They opened a door in the hidden command center and walked into the 'normal' delivery area in the back of the truck. From there, they opened the back doors, stepped out of the truck and nonchalantly walked into the alley.

Inside the office Katsumi scratched her head, her eyes switching between several odd readouts on her network status. "This doesn't make any sense. Why is there a pack error with a blank log file? Nene? Nene what do you…" The woman turned to her left to face Nene's desk, where she had dutifully aided her every day for the last six months. It was only when she saw the empty desk that she remembered the conversation they had had last evening.

A solemn mood took hold of Katsumi as she thought back to the words from Nene. Today was the one year anniversary of Nene meeting Mackey, the young being that she had grown to love… and the love that kept her visiting the Stingray home every night for the last six months, keeping an eye on Mackey for any sign of change. Katsumi bowed her head for a moment and reflected on that dedication, mentally picturing Nene by Mackey's bedside at this very moment… which she told both her and Jill that she would do on this milestone. It was in that moment with Katsumi lost in reflection that all hell broke loose.

The back door to the office burst open and two suited men dove through. One rushed right for the stunned Katsumi. Her rusty reflexes were still quick enough to get her out of harms way… at least initially. She jumped out of the chair and ducked under the path of first attacker who went high. The Japanese woman rolled onto her back, her eyes searching for the second intruder by the door. He wasn't there. "Where did he…"

A firm grip on her arm caused her to panic. Jerking her arm free, Katsumi swiveled her head around to spot the other assailant. That was just the opening the first attacker was looking for.

Something buried itself into Katsumi's gut, knocking the breath from her. The next thing she felt was a jarring electric shock. Her body spasmed on the floor for a few moments before falling unconscious, the two men standing up and dusting themselves off afterwards. One of the men pocketed his taser, while the other sized up the limp body on the floor.

Just then, the previously undisturbed front door of the office flew open, the two men immediately assuming a defensive posture. However, both relaxed as they were greeted by the site of their two comrades, one with the blond haired target, on his broad shoulder. In his other hand, he held carefully the paper 'proposal' with a thick, protective paper… a special paper designed to barrier the poison laced on the documents' surface.

"Mission accomplished then." The man with the briefcase pressed a finger to his ear and spoke to the communicator hidden inside. "Ready the truck. We are inbound with the packages."

"Roger that," the female voice spoke into his ear.

The crew swiftly moved out of the back of the office and towards the waiting truck. Once the team was back in place with their 'packages' secured, one of the men moved through the door from the rear of the van up into the drivers area. He settled into the seat of the van, clicking the safety belt into place. With the push of a button the engine turned over. He raised a hand up to shift the vehicle into gear when his eyes caught glimpse of a very odd obstruction at the end of the alley.

A fashionably dressed woman of slight build and average height stood at the mouth of the alley a few meters in front of the van. And in the narrow alley she definitely blocked its path.

"Who is that?" the man whispered out loud. He scooted up in the seat to get a better view above the steering wheel when the woman pulled down her oversized sunglasses, revealing bright crimson eyes framed with flowing, wavy blond hair. "… wow…" was as much as the man could say.

With a purposeful gesture, the woman raised one arm behind her head and somehow "drew" a tall sheet metal curtain across the entrance to the alley. Meanwhile, she gracefully raised her other arm towards the other end of the alley, flipping her hand up and curling one finger at the man, gesturing him to come to her.

The American agent found himself opening the door of the van before he even knew what his body was doing. Back in the recesses of his conscience, whispers of doubt begged for a voice. And yet his legs still propelled him out of the van without a moment's hesitation. Even the sudden questions from his other teammates in his earpiece wouldn't halt his body. He strode directly up to the woman with every intention of sweeping this goddess up into his arms.

That goddess held out her one hand to him, continuing to beckon him closer. Then he reached her. The man raised his hands to encircle her slender waist, her hand coming up to cradle his cheek ever so gently. Then, contact.

The leader of the group stormed to the front of the van just in time to see the his driver embracing a young woman a few meters in front of the van. His blood boiled over at the unprofessional acts that endangered their mission. He leapt out of the van and took one stride towards the back of his driver. At that moment the woman shifted her gaze to him, crimson eyes burning a hole in his resolve. His feet instant froze to the concrete, his breathing difficult, shallow and rapid. "… what… what's happening…"

The man in her other arm methodically turned his torso around, pulled a pistol out of his jacket. With eyes burning with passionate emerald flame, he raised the weapon at his supervisor. Without a second thought, his finger squeezed the silent trigger, placing a muzzled bullet directly into the frozen man's forehead.

The group leader was dead before he hit the ground.

From the surrounding rooftops, a faint shadow flashed to the edge of the building peering into the alley and scanning the scene. It focused its energy onto the female shape and then immediately leapt into the air, its outline filling out into another form. A grey hardsuit dropped from the sky, landing between the van and the couple standing in its path. Its visor flashed towards the cooling body on the pavement, then back at the man and woman nervously.

The man started to raise his weapon towards the hardsuit until the blonde stopped him with a mere finger on his forearm. She slid the finger up the arm, around his shoulder, trailed it further up his neck and to his forehead. Gently she pushed on the man's head with that one finger… and he immediately closed his eyes and slumped down to the pavement, all but unconscious. She then turned her crimson eyes back towards the hardsuit with a sly smile. "Now then, I think we need to have a woman to woman talk." Aoede reached into a deep pocket on the outside of her vest, pulling out something small enough to be concealed with her fist.

The hardsuit raised a cautionary arm, a small caliber gun popping out of the wrist area. "Don't move," the Chinese agent spoke in heavily accented German. She struggled to understand what her eyes and sensors were attempting to communicate to her.

Aoede gave a questioning glance at first, then shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever," she threw out calmly… while letting a small red metal ball roll out of her hand. It bounced a couple of times harmlessly on the ground, rolling a meter off to her side before coming to a rest.

The hardsuit tracked the object rolling along the ground the entire way, all the while keeping one cautious eye on the other woman on her left.

The only thing that other woman continued to do was smile innocently… until the marble-sized ball liquefied and began to expand.

Taking no chances, the hardsuit aimed and fired directly into the liquefying mass. The shot splattered bits of red matter all over the wall behind it leaving a motionless puddle in its wake. The Chinese woman quickly returned her aim back to the mysterious blonde while trying to decipher the clues. "Is she one of the Americans?" she asked into her communicator. On her HUD, the onboard processors worked to identify the material on the ground. A couple of warning beeps alerted her to the findings, which displayed in front of her. She read them to herself at first, then out loud when she didn't understand the results. "Equivalent hardsuit?"

"Now about that talk… have you figured it out yet Chizang?" the other woman called to her, shocking the Chinese woman.

"How… how do you know that? … my name… Who are you??" she screamed through the hardsuit speakers, leveling her arm mounted weapon squarely between the crimson eyes staring back at her.

"I can't believe it. After everything I've done the last few months… you still don't recognize me," the singer mocked. "Well, I suppose I have some work to do then," she commented with a smirk. Her eyes suddenly flashed a bright green light, then burned back to their natural Crimson shading.

That unnatural act, on top of everything else she had just witnessed, was more than Chizang could stand. Aiming, she pulled the trigger… and pulled again… and again… Nothing happened.

"What??" Her eyes flew over the HUD, nervously scanning for any signs of problems. "Ammo, systems, locks… what's wrong??"

"Nothing is wrong," a familiar voice boomed in her helmet. Chizang focused on the face of the woman standing a few meters away… and found no movement on any part of it… even her lips… even as the woman's voice somehow continued to play in her ears. "I've just decided to reclaim this boomer from you. I'm sure you won't mind... _at least not for much longer, anyway._"

"Reclaim… boomer…" the Chinese agent repeated, trying vainly to understand. But her thoughts soon turned to more immediate concerns as her HUD suddenly winked out. Reflexively, she tried to bring one hand up to tap the side of her helmet, but the armor grew heavy, her arm movements slowing and slowing. In just moments, her arm froze… along with the rest of her body she quickly found out. With her power out, panic set in as her eyes flashed all around her visor, looking for anything to tell her what was happening. Then, just to the side of her vision, things got much worse.

The red puddle rippled, then contracted in on itself, flowing and molding as a bloody stump rose from the center of its pit.

The Chinese agent swallowed hard, trying to focus. Then she remembered… "The emergency latch!" Her left index finger pushed back in a practiced motion and found the trigger. Pushing the safety with her pinky, she fumbled with the latch even as her eyes tracked the hideously growing blob over to her left. "Why won't it work!" she screamed in frustration.

"Well, if you want out…" the other woman idly commented, a twisted smile forming between her emerald lips just as her eyes flashed their own bright emerald glow.

From all around Chizang, everything immediately liquefied. Her visor, the armor, everything just melted off of her skin. In just seconds, the shell-shocked Chinese agent found herself standing in the puddling remains of her own hardsuit. Vulnerable, feeling next to naked standing in her red softsuit, her gaze was pulled from the woman standing at the mouth of the alley and over to the flowing, rippling crimson blob.

It oozing mass began to flow across the pavement, creeping towards the Chinese's shaking feet.

Her eyes pulsed in horror, her legs buckled from underneath her. Stumbling, Chizang backed into the wall of the alley, trying to force herself through the cold, unmoving bricks. "… no… no… Stop It!" she cried, her frayed sanity on the verge of collapse. Then, a voice reached out to her and gave a glimmer of hope to the woman's drowning soul.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay."

Chizang couldn't resist the voice, pulling her eyes away from the terror at her feet and into the endless depths of the other woman's crimson gaze. It was then that the other woman began to sing.

She started with a soft hum, then elevated the melodious pitch before rolling into a few, quaint harmonies.

The Chinese woman stood mesmerized by the sound of Aoede's voice. Her eyelids grew heavy. Her body fell slack, resting against the wall. All the while the red puddle continued to flow in the direction of her still feet. Within moments, the puddle coalesced around her ankles and began flowing up her legs, coating her body with its thick mass.

Aoede smiled even as she continued to softly weave her song… her handi-work was complete… the Chinese agent's slim female body completely covered with the enveloping red coating. With a brief crescendo, she halted the song. She lifted her right arm out and drew the unconscious American agent upright once more and to her side. "It's time to finish what I started here, my darling," she cooed to him.

His emblazoned eyes agreed and followed Aoede's beckoning form towards the van.

Over her shoulder she tossed out a command to the frozen red female statue. "Go back to your people and spread my word."

With her command, the form briefly liquefied again before taking another shape… a shape mirroring the hardsuit previously worn by the Chinese agent. The hardsuit's visor flashed as the woman inside mindlessly acknowledged her order. "Yes Aoede." With a white-hot blast of thrusters, the blood red hardsuit shot into the night sky and towards the Chinese agency from which she previously came.

The smoke cloud left behind by the hardsuit surrounded the van, fogging over the windows and leaving the people inside blind to their fate… until the rear door slid open and their former comrade stepped inside, only one sinister word emanating from his lips… "Aoede… Aoede… Aoede…"

* * *

_Brugg, Switzerland_

It seemed as if every single muscle in her body was throbbing in rhythm. And when Katsumi finally woke up, she quickly realized that she had a headache to match. "Unnngh, what happened…" she mumbled before sharp memories pierced her mental fog. Immediately her eyes flew open, darting back and forth looking for her assailants. She didn't find them, but someone else was sitting across from her. Inside the lounge of their own company office, a young woman with blond hair and reddish eyes intently stared back at the confused Katsumi.

"Ah, finally awake now I see," she said.

"Our office?" Katsumi stammered out, rubbing her stomach as memories replayed in her mind. "But…" Just then Katsumi glanced over to her left and found Jill lying unconscious next to her on the couch. "Jill!" She gently shook her partner's shoulder, taking stock of her condition.

"She should be waking up soon," the other woman announced. "But, in the meantime…" the blonde started to speak, standing up from the chair opposite the couch and gliding across the small space to take a seat next to the dizzy Katsumi. "… I need something from you while we are waiting."

"Need something?" the suddenly nervous Katsumi repeated before the other woman gently took Katsumi's right hand with one of her own. The contact shocked her at first, leading Katsumi to stare down at the foreign hand. She almost expected to see sparks flying when she looked. Then, the other woman raised her other hand up, bringing it towards Katsumi's face. Her eyes locked in as the back of her pale flesh made contact with her cheek. "Who… who are… wait… don't I know you?"

Aoede smiled softly. "Just close your eyes and relax," the other woman gently ordered, lulling the confused Katsumi into a small sense of security with her words as much as her touch.

Katsumi closed her eyes as she was told and took in a deep breath, her shoulders heaving before sagging down low. She let her mind wander off for just a moment, her thoughts evaporating into a light green cloud of nothingness…

* * *

_Brugg, Switzerland_

It was the low moaning sound that finally pulled Jill from the abyss. Her eyes cracked open and a neon green glow slammed them back shut again. More carefully, she slid her eyelids apart just enough to make out two figures sitting next to each other. It only took another second for Jill to recognize Katsumi… and to recognize she was in trouble.

Katsumi sat with her head back against the couch, her mouth open, slack, eyes closed. And she was the one moaning in apparent pain. Dominating over her was a blond haired young woman in a strapless red top, black miniskirt… and one glowing green hand clamped onto Katsumi's forehead.

"What the hell?!?" Jill sat straight up and started to reach out with her human arm when her mechanical one suddenly "tingled"… then froze completely. Her head snapped around to see a horrifyingly numbing sight… her own arm pulsing, ripping, tearing itself apart. She tried to scream, but her mechanical arm burst forth with metal vines, wrapping around her torso and throat, cutting off her cries deep inside her lungs.

"Now that sort of noise isn't necessary in the least," the blonde commented rather calmly.

Something deep within that voice had a calming effect on the previously shocked Jill. The metal vines relaxed around her neck and her body, letting Jill take in a shallow breath. It was even enough for her to momentarily get her voice back. "Who are you? What are you?"

The other woman frowned at her, crimson eyes brimming with rage. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? Your partner knew. Why don't you know???" she asked incredulous, releasing Katsumi and stalking over the top of the shocked Jill.

Jill caught sight of Katsumi collapsing onto the armrest of the couch before the blonde pressed her face close enough to completely fill her vision. "After everything I've done around the world, I would expect my face to be most recognizable! And especially to someone who's had such close contact with me for years now," she winked at Jill and touched the tip of Jill's nose with one finger before standing up from the couch. The strange blond woman turned her back on Jill and faced the far wall, her head bowed slightly.

Something about that word rang loud for Jill. "Contact?" she questioned to herself. Suddenly her eyes shot over to the disfigured remains of her arm. "You!" she shouted. "But, why? Why are you here?"

But her question wasn't answered the way she expected. A slight hum resonated through the small lounge area, instantly captivating Jill. Something from the back of Jill's mind screamed at her to resist, but as the humming persisted, her willpower vanished. The last thing her conscience recognized was a small phrase from the woman calling herself Aoede… a phrase that filled the inside of her mind. "Now lets take a short trip through that small gate Sylia left open …"

* * *

_Kumamoto, Japan_

Lost in her own thoughts, Priss didn't realize that the car was gone until she was inside the Yamazaki house. And in looking around the quiet country home, she quickly realized she was alone.

And that suited her mood just fine.

She quickly showered, letting the dirt and grime from the hiking trail flow down the drain. But as much as she wanted them to, the memories of her earlier encounter with Linna wouldn't wash away so easily. Priss toweled off, then changed into some borrowed jeans and a plain white t-shirt Linna had picked up for her in town. Drying off the rest of her short hair, one hand lingered on the back of her neck, tracing the healing vertical scar through the ruffled brown scuff. Testing the raw skin with a fingertip, she became aware of a persistent dull ache from the area… one so faint that it was only when she concentrated that it was noticeable.

A chill ran down her spine as memories of the likely source of the pain attempted to bubble up to the surface of her repressed nightmares. Some things Priss wanted to relearn and relive. Other things she had decided were best left dead and buried. And those events around the Knight Sabers, Sylia, Galatea and the battle in space all fit tightly into that category. Priss closed her eyes and blocked out those thoughts with a focused effort, squeezing hard on the back of her neck to mask the low throbbing. But as the pressure relieved, the pain returned. A short grumble and back to the bathroom she padded. A couple of pills and a glass of water later, she was satisfied that the condition would be remedied shortly.

Priss trudged back into Linna's bedroom, collapsing backwards onto the bed, losing herself in the plain ceiling above her once more. It didn't take long for her to realize that act was a mistake. But it wasn't neck pain that was the problem this time, but more troubling thoughts of Linna… and what she would have to face when the country girl returned from wherever she had run off to this time.

She sighed deeply, exhaling the depressive thoughts from her mind for just a moment. And in that instant of clarity, an idea formed in the back of her mind… a relic from the earlier excursions on Linna's computer. The once lead singer brought one finger to her lips, pressing them closed for just a moment. Then, she focused and tried to flex her vocal cords. A squeaky, raspy broken hum was all that spilled out. Concentrating, she coughed, cleared her throat and recalibrated her voice, trying again to find that elusive tone practiced so many times in the past. This time an off key, but constant, note flowed across the tight passage. She held it for a few moments then stopped, inhaling deeply then exhaling her small victory.

Concentrating further inside, she pictured the clubs she frequented back in Tokyo with Sekiria. Her chest rising high, stretching the thin white fabric of the shirt, she sought out the tone one more time. This time she was much closer to the note, a constant vibration resonated through her body and her mind. And for the first time in a long time, a twinge of something flickered in her soul, something deep, something strong. Priss drew out the chord, her lips parting slightly as she licked them to keep them moist. Inside the note, she saw, and more importantly actually felt, herself on stage again. The rush of the crowd, the pounding drums, the screaming guitar, the whipping frenzy of the beat. Even further inside her subconscious memories of song, Priss found a hint of something lost but not forgotten… something that had once defined her very being. She transformed the stage beneath her into a two-wheeled flight of freedom. Once more Priss Asagiri screamed along the streets of Tokyo...

… virtually, at least. In the bedroom, her voice rang loud, reflecting off the walls, doors and windows. In her soul, she tore through traffic, around corners, and under the streetlights with her jacket flapping in the cool midnight breeze. Her companion rumbled and roared, answering her call for speed with rubber claws ripping chunks of pavement up by the city block. She opened the throttle on her vocal cords, the music in the house growing in amplitude as the cycle in her mind sped even faster along the highway. The engine revved faster and higher, then a curve and a downshift with the willing machine answering her beckoning needs. Her heartbeat pounded, her blood raced, skin tingling as the images fed into her need for release. And the engine roared again… and again… and…

Priss' eyes shot open, the music dead in her throat. And yet the engine roared again. Except it wasn't in her head. This roar was in her ears… coming through the walls, the doors, the windows… _Outside? _

Her feet were racing for the front door faster than her mind could comprehend what it all meant. She flung the door open. What she saw in the driveway nearly brought her to her knees.

Just dismounting a shining new red sport motorcycle was a woman wearing a black leather jacket and a blue helmet with red stripes down each side.

Priss could barely speak. "…wow…"

The woman pulled the helmet off… and Linna held it out in front of her, now sporting a satisfied grin. With a flick of her wrists she tossed the helmet into Priss' gut.

Priss reflexively caught the helmet, her hands and eyes inspecting it gleefully. Then a question popped into her head. She wasn't sure how to voice it though. "But… what…"

"So are you just going to stand there or are you going to take it for a spin?" Linna answered her unfinished question, nodding towards the bike.

A timid Priss edged close to the machine, her eyes running up and down the minted frame. In the back of her mind, all the details and specs of the bike flipped by like pages in a magazine. But none of that really mattered to her at the moment. She raised the helmet onto her head and slid it on. It fit perfectly. Standing next to the bike, she carefully let one finger make contact with the tip of the handle bar. A shock of static electricity jolted up her arm and into her spine, shrill goose bumps flowing across the bare parts of her skin. Her hand jerked away momentarily and she paused, looking up into Linna's pale violet eyes for direction.

Linna nodded her reassurance, the grin on her face growing slightly longer. But as Priss' hungry vision returned to feast on the bike, the scene watered over for Linna. The former biker's reaction was more emotional than she could have hoped for… and also her worst nightmare come true. However, she still managed to blink away the tears because she knew what she had to do, and she knew it couldn't be with any strings attached.

Carefully, Priss gripped one handle of the bike and slid one leg over the top. Balancing on her toes, she sat astride the machine, bouncing lightly to get a feel for the suspension. The HUD appeared to be a lower grade mix of holo and digital panels. The curves, lines and trim all spoke to a mid level entry motorcycle. It was much smaller than her last bike, but much bigger than Linna's old scooter. "It should be perfect for you," Priss commented idly. She reached for both grips of the handle bar and squeezed tight. Priss was so focused on the feel of the bike that she was caught off guard when Linna reached from behind her and placed her right hand over Priss'.

Through her t-shirt, Priss could feel the warmth from Linna's body on her back as she pressed into her. She glanced down into their intertwined hands and noticed Linna moving her thumb and pushing Priss' own thumb into place over what appeared to be a print reader just below the grip. Then Linna tickled Priss' ear with her voice.

"Just hold your hand there."

Priss was going to ask why when Linna reached around with her left hand and activated the controls of the bike. She watched as Linna brought up a small virtual keypad and entered a five-digit sequence. The bike beeped three times before the controls automatically turned off. "Why did you do that? You could have started your bike for me."

Linna let go of Priss and moved back, shaking her head silently. It was then that Priss noticed the signs, Linna's violet eyes watering, nose a slight rose tint.

Linna took off the leather jacket and handed it out to Priss. "You'll probably be needing this," she said, her voice cracking at the end.

Priss couldn't take the jacket. Her eyes flashed between the bike and Linna. "You didn't…"

The country girl nodded, holding the jacket out emphatically. "I'm not always going to be where _your_ bike is Priss."

"… linna…"

"Here," she said, lifting the jacket up over her shoulders and fitting it through Priss' arms one at a time while the other woman balanced the bike. Once Priss' left hand pushed through the sleeve, Linna gently touched one finger, giving it one quick squeeze before letting go. Linna quickly turned around and marched toward the house, vowing not the look back… no matter how much she so desperately wanted to.

Priss watched in disbelief as Linna walked up to the porch, slid the front door open and walked through before closing it quickly behind her. She stared at the front of the house for a full minute. There was no sign of Linna… and Priss knew she wasn't coming back out. Part of her begged to go in the house and talk this through. But in Priss' heart, she knew what she should do. Linna's smile when she first laid eyes on the bike told her everything she needed to know.

She pressed her thumb down and activated the starter. The bike responded with a high-pitched roar. Gently squeezing the throttle, the wheels slowly dug into the gravel driveway and turned the cycle around towards the road. Priss kicked up the stand, looked both directions, picked left, then opened the throttle full and screamed down the road, heading out for the highway once again. With Linna on her mind and doubts in her heart, she knew she had much to work through… and many, many kilometers to travel to get there. But before she even finished her first kilometer, Priss did find a friend on the road. A few notes joined her journey, collecting and condensing in her soul in the form of a song.

And inside the blue and red helmet, Priss Asagiri actually let out a small smile.

* * *

_Brugg, Switzerland_

The humming permeated through the immaculate bedroom, filling the space with her love and hope. Nene threw the curtains open, flooding the room with light as well. Wearing a bright yellow dress patterned with flowers, the young blond girl was determined to celebrate the day for everything she had in the present. She turned to the lone occupant of the room with a smile, but had to fight back the dark mood that had suppressed her for so many months now. "No, no I won't," she willed herself to think optimistically. "Good morning Mackey. I hope you are resting good today." The young woman moved away from the warmth of the window and over to the bed where the still comatose Mackey lay. She sat on the foot of the bed, her torso turned sideways to face her unconscious love.

Looking at his pale face, she let herself think back for a moment. "One year… its been one year today that we've known each other." Her mind wondered back to happier, naive days… days with her as just a member of the ADP by day… Knight Sabers by night. Happier days where she wasn't concerned with anyone but herself. Happier days where she didn't understand the depth of the evil conceived by Genom… or Galatea…

Nene looked up from her memories and into Mackey's silent face. She slid along the side of the bed and closer to Mackey, taking his lone remaining hand in her own. It felt cold, distant. Still she clutched it tightly. Her eyes focused for just a moment on the remains of his other arm… and the place where Sylia had severed the damning link flowing between Galatea, Mackey, and Nigel. Even now she couldn't understand exactly why it had happened. But that instant had changed everything. That was the last time she had actually seen Mackey 'alive' and conscious, and the last time Nigel had been as well.

A tear escaped from one eye, rolling down her warm cheek and onto the freshly laundered bed sheet beneath her. But wiping away the streak, she gave one more squeeze of Mackey's hand and then stood up again. "No, I won't worry about the past," she resolved. She moved to the dresser next to the door and picked up the cleaning spray and rags she had just put there a few moments previous. "Now it's time to clean up present and get ready for our future," Nene spoke to the silent boy in the room.

But no sooner had she sprayed the first horizontal surface than a strangely foreign sound in the house peaked her curiosity. "The doorbell? Who could be here now?"

Nene walked through the bedroom door and to the top of the stairs. Looking down at the front door, she was surprised to find no sign of Henderson. "I wonder where he is?"

The doorbell rang again and Nene decided not to wait any longer. She started to walk down the wooden staircase and was about halfway down when the unlocked door handle turned. She paused for a second, something in the back of her mind making her a little uneasy. The door opened, revealing two very familiar faces on the other side.

"Jill, Katsumi! What are you guys doing here?" Nene hopped down the remaining stairs. "I thought…" Her feet froze in place when she got within a couple of meters of her friends… or forms that looked like her friends. The two women continued to stand in place at the doorway, not moving, not reacting, not even blinking. It was the eyes that sunk Nene's spirits… the eerily, terrifying glow that had haunted her nightmares for so many months now. And then, behind them a face that nearly stopped her heart.

"Hello Nene," said a blonde haired version of Priss.

"… galatea…"

"Not exactly," the being replied in Japanese, stepping between her two escorts and up to the shorter human. "And please don't tell me that you don't know my real name now, because I'm really starting to get upset."

Nene shut her eyes tightly. _"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"_ she begged herself, clinching her fists tightly in front of her, until a faint touch on the bottom of her chin sprung her eyes open… and into the crimson eyes of her tormentor.

"I don't think that's going to help," she smiled. "Now, would you please just answer this question for me? Who is the fasting rising, most influential singer in the entire world? Who is the officially crowned goddess of sound?"

The remaining color drained from Nene's face. Of course she knew. Everyone had heard the stories and the music. She had just been too preoccupied with other things to take notice of the details of this being standing before her. "… aoede…"

"Very good! Well, its not exactly instant recognition, but its still close!" the singer clapped her hands together.

And then the rest of the pieces started to click into place for the shell-shocked blonde girl. "But then… you… Priss… and, then… Jill, Katsumi… how… how are you controlling them? You're a sotai! What about the boomers???"

Aoede gave a curious smile and brought one hand to her chin. "Well, I suppose I _could_ tell you now. But I would rather have you discuss those details with _him_," she emphasized, nodding in a direction just past Nene.

She didn't even have to turn around to understand the horrible implications of the word. Her eyes flared in total shock. "…no…" Then her body reflexively jerked as two hands touched her shoulders from behind. Nene's neck creeped around to the side, her eyes shook as they peered over to a glowing, fluid hand, up a pulsing, rippling arm and into the stoic, zombie-like eyes of Mackey Stingray. _"… no… Mackey…"_

"She has returned to claim what was her past," he pronounced to the lone conscious human in the room.

And that was as much as Nene's tortured soul could take. Her scream filled the house with sound loud enough to wake the dead…

…but for just an instant. A muffling hand from Mackey closed over her mouth, silencing the screams. In unison, the two boomer prototypes voiced out a concern.

"_Something's coming."_

Then Nene heard something as well, from below her feet. And for just a moment her hopes were lifted. _Could it be? _She didn't have to wait long to find out.

The wall exploded behind the stairwell, and through the smoke and debris flew out what had to be a hardsuit, thrusters blasting full bore from some lower level of the house, searing the walls with their heat.

Nene was slammed down hard to the side by Mackey just an instant before the hardsuit barreled into Aoede…or at least tried to. Aoede never moved… because she didn't have to. The hardsuit attacked with a blade drawn… but it was met by another blade. And that blade was attached to the arm of Jill, who strained but was able to hold her ground just in front of her new master.

"Nice try Sylia," the new boomer goddess remarked with an idle smile.

"_Damn you Galatea. I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do!"_ Sylia roared over the speakers of the plain gray hardsuit. She pushed hard up on the saber from her left arm, pushing Jill's arm up in the process. Then without hesitation, she kicked up with one power augmented leg, squarely connecting into the unarmored woman's midsection and sending her flying back out the doorway and down the front stairs hard onto the ground.

Sylia didn't stop there. Before Jill's body could even hit the ground outside she was pivoting on her planted foot, spun around and threw out a spin kick right at the blonde boomer goddess' head. It never made it to the intended target.

Katsumi threw up a blocking kick, somehow managing to match the hardsuit's power with her own human body. Her eyes were emblazoned with green rings of fire.

Aoede continued to smile, standing perfectly still among the maelstrom around her. "I believe you are running out of time."

Sylia growled out in frustration. "Out of the way!" She ducked down, grabbing one of Katsumi's wrists and then cleanly tossed the former Knight Saber all the way out of the house.

Katsumi landed with a sickening thud next to her partner, who was just starting to get back to her feet.

The gray saber then stood tall, took aim and thrust out with her blade.

This time Aoede moved, sidestepping the hardsuit at just the right moment.

Sylia didn't even get a chance to continue her attack as a pounding blow to her back knocked her through the doorway. She stumbled on the stairs and landed just past Jill and Katsumi. Looking back, she saw Mackey with one foot still thrust up from where he attacked her from behind. Damnit!!!…. uh… oh…." The gray hardsuit attempted to stand again, but a mind splitting pain crippled her momentum.

"Ah, it appears that the drugs are starting to wear off already," said the boomer goddess. But as Aoede looked down at Sylia, she also took note of her other subjects now just outside the house. She sensed that the one with the mechanical arm was bleeding internally from Sylia's kick. Also, her companion had a broken arm and leg from her attempts to stop Sylia. And yet, Aoede could still sense their desire to continue, to resist their 'former master', despite their injuries.

Sylia struggled to get to her feet, but willed herself upright. She was not going to stop this time until either the Sotai was dead… or until she was herself. One way or another this fight was to the finish. _…don't have time… for pain… _In front of her, she saw Jill coughing up blood, and Katsumi favoring one leg heavily and holding up an arm with a grotesque extra joint. But neither displayed any other symptom of pain. It was only then that Sylia began to wonder just how this Sotai was able to influence humans. It was as if they had become zombies, almost a type of human 'boomer'. But her questions were short lived because even though a small part of her did feel pity for whatever might be causing their current state, it only served to fuel her desire to finish the fight, and to stop the monster from being able to control anything or anyone else.

The gray knight saber checked her crude readouts inside her helmet confirming a limited supply of power left but with minimal damage taken thus far. _have to move now _She took one step forward and readied her blade for one more pass. But Aoede had other plans for Sylia.

The 'Goddess of Sound' opened her vocal chords and poured forth a virtual sonic tidal wave. One affect was to incapacitate her human rival, which was highly effective as it brought Sylia to her knees once again, her helmet held on both sides by shaking arms. But the effort was only a small part of her plan. With both hands, she reached into both of her vest pockets, pulling out small colored spheres in each palm. Tossing them to the feet of Jill and Katsumi, Aoede modulated her voice causing the spheres to liquefy and grow, spreading up both women's legs.

After nearly of minute of stereo torture, the singing finally stopped. Sylia was finally able to raise her head again… and quickly wished she hadn't. Now standing between her and Aoede were two more nightmares from her past. A pair of hardsuits, one red the other green, stood tall and ready where Jill and Katsumi had been previously disabled.

"You left quite a mess inside their minds, Sylia," Aoede explained for the confused woman. "Fortunately it was something quite repairable… much like their injuries of a few moments ago in fact. But instead of just telling you, I will let them show you first hand exactly how well they can adapt to your hardsuit technology when it is properly tuned."

The red hardsuit raised her right arm at the gray saber, leveling her cannons into Sylia. And to her right, the green hardsuit assumed an attack pose, crouching to strike.

"And to think this was actually their idea, too," Aoede taunted further, tormenting the outnumbered and outgunned Sylia on as many levels as she could.

Meanwhile, the only other person that could lend Sylia any help whatsoever appeared unable to. Nene lay unconscious at Mackey's feet at the bottom of the stairwell, oblivious to the coming carnage about to be dealt between her friends and former teammate.

* * *

_Kumamoto, Japan_

Linna's head perked up again, a distant noise rousing her from her semi-sleeping state. She stood from the front porch steps and adjusted her eyes to the dim light of dusk, stretching her stiff arms, legs, and back. She checked her watch… _five hours _… she counted mentally. The noise from the south grew louder and Linna was able to pick up a single headlight in the distance. Her heart lifted as the source of that light grew more apparent by the second.

"It's her!" she said to herself.

The small red bike slowed and pulled into the driveway, gliding to a stop just at the end of the gravel. The rider kicked out the stand, sat the bike over cautiously then turned off the engine. Priss dismounted and removed her helmet, setting it down between the handlebars carefully.

Linna jumped down the stairs but managed to stop herself from grabbing Priss into a bearhug. "So, how was it?" she asked innocently, from a modest distance away.

Priss wasn't looking directly at her, and continued to avoid direct eye contact as she spoke. "Good," she answered cryptically.

"Um, great! So, are you feeling any better now?"

Priss took a step back away from Linna and turned towards the bike, inspecting the seat for something… or at least that's what Linna wanted to think she was doing. That hope didn't last for long though. "Listen Linna," Priss began, finally looking the country girl in the eyes.

The instant she saw into Priss' crimson eyes, Linna knew it was over. She didn't have to say another word… but she did anyway.

Priss looked to the side as she continued. "I'm going back to Tokyo. I need to find myself again, and…" Priss glanced up and caught Linna's sudden desperation. But she knew this wasn't going to be easy. For the last hour she had driven in circles, trying to decide the best way to say it. But, in the end, there was only one way she remembered. "… and I have to do that back where I belong, back in Tokyo."

The tears welled up strong in her pale, violet eyes. And yet, deep down, Linna almost expected this. Riding back on the bike herself earlier, she knew the temptation was too great for Priss to drive off again. "I…" Linna choked up, but gathered herself after a few moments, sniffling hard. "… I knew you'd want to go someday. I just hoped… just hoped it wouldn't be for a little while."

Priss bowed her head, gripping one handle of the bike for support. "I'm sorry Linna." Keeping her head bowed, she ducked past Linna and strode up the stairs and into the house. After a few moments, Linna followed her inside.

In Linna's room, Priss pulled out a small backpack and took out the handful of things from her single drawer that she had accumulated in her short stay. Linna silently stood at the doorway, tears flowing freely down both cheeks. Once full, Priss slipped the backpack over her jacket and walked slowly up to the crying woman. She lifted on hand and cupped the side of Linna's face, wiping away the tears with her thumb. "I promise I'll stay in touch."

"You'd better," Linna tried to smile, her nose red and running, sobbing again. "I know… I know the faster you go, the quicker you'll find what you need there," she tried to reason with herself more than Priss. She lifted her hand and placed it over Priss' own hand. Then pulling it off of her cheek, Linna brought Priss' palm to her lips and planted a soft kiss there… then lowered it to her heart and pressed it firmly in place. "I love you Priss Asagiri."

Priss let out a small smile. "I know," she whispered quietly.

Even though it wasn't as much of an answer as she wanted, Linna knew that was as much as Priss was capable of now and didn't press any further. She released the hand and let Priss draw back within herself, turning to the side to allow the singer to pass

Priss bowed her head again and nudged quickly past Linna and out the front door of the house. Linna stood at the doorway and watched as Priss smartly mounted the bike, started it up and turned out the driveway. This time, she turned right… turning back towards Tokyo, the engine revving as fast as Priss could open the throttle.

And even though she knew she had done the right thing, Linna returned to the steps on the front porch. She sat back down in the same spot as before, curling up her legs, and dropping her face into her hands. But this time, she didn't hold back. Letting it all out, Linna Yamazaki choked up sobs of pain and loss over losing the love of her life one more time.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	22. Ch 21: Best of Both Worlds

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 21 – "Best of Both Worlds"

Pain thumped through her body with every movement, every breath. But Sylia still rose up from one knee to stand above the battlefield… that was more than either of her two adversaries could claim. Both the Red and Green Hardsuits lay battered, beaten and unconscious in the Knight Sabers' wake as she staggered closer to her boomer tormentor.

With the 'benefit' of her own visor shattered, Sylia was able to lift one armored arm and wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth. "I'm not going to stop until your dead," she promised to that tormentor and to herself. Sylia lowered her right arm and was about to extend out the blade housed there again when a sharp pain brought her back to her knees. Her armored hands squeezed both sides of her helmet in a vain attempt to block out the source of the pain.

Aoede flashed an unconcerned smile. "You will stop if I tell you to stop Sylia," she corrected, before a flash of her crimson eyes signaled the end of this round of torture. "However Sylia, if it's a fight you want…" the boomer goddess prefaced her arm motion, reaching into her vest pocket and pulling out a small black marble. She held it out in front of her body before dropping the object at her own feet. Aoede blasted out a single high-pitched octave just before the marble struck the ground. It splashed onto the grassy surface, black tendrils erupting from the spot as if roots from the earth were thrusting into the sky. The tendrils wrapped themselves around the female boomer, completely covering her in its blackness. And in just one further breath, the liquid expanded, then contracted and hardened into a shape… the shape of a sleek, pitch black hardsuit.

Its red visor flashed, and the voice of Aoede boomed through the shiny metal surface. "… it's a fight I'll give you _MYSELF_!!!."

And before Sylia could even think of standing upright again, that black hardsuit crouched low and sprang straight at her gray one. Sylia heard the sounds of the igniting thrusters from the enemy hardsuit at the same moment the breath was blasted from her chest as it slammed into her.

Flying backwards, away from her house, she had a perfect view of the bright blue midday sky just before the dark starry filled fringes of unconsciousness took over…

* * *

A lone motorcycle emerged from the tunnel exit, its single headlamp illuminating the dark spaces not filled with highway light. Northeast it drove willed by its rider back towards the city she still called home. And even as doubts crept into her resolve, Priss pushed them aside with memories of her survival following the Kanto quake. _…No, the Galatea quake… _her consciousness reminded, revising her own personal history. And Priss gritted her teeth, a small measure of pain returning to her soul from the memories of her family dying in the quake.

_As if I need another reason to hate her _Priss thought to herself, sensing for the first time a little bit of the rage built up over the years returning to boil up from beneath the crumbling ruins of her past. And in that rage, a familiar song ignited in her heart. She let go of her mental restraints and actually started to sing the song inside her helmet, cranking up the accelerator even further as she continued to speed her way back to Tokyo.

Just past the highway welcome center on the western tip of Honshu, another single bike waited at the exit. And just as a certain red bike sped past with a certain rider wearing a certain leather jacket, that bike pulled out onto the highway. It gathered and matched the speed of the red bike, its rider trailing a safe distance behind… a safe distance not to be easily noticed…

* * *

The battered gray helmet rolled to a stop several meters away from where the rest of armor lay still. Aoede, flexing the soreness of overuse from her right arm, plodded through the deep gouges cut into the hard ground. Those gouges led to the silent hardsuit. Inside the hardsuit, an equally bruised and battered Sylia Stingray clinged to life. Not that Aoede was particularly concerned with that at the moment, her visor non-chalantly opening up to allow a more personal view of her handiwork.

She reached down with one power augmented arm and grabbed a fistful of Sylia's blue hair… now streaked with her own blood. The boomer goddess yanked hard on the roots, eliciting a worn groan from the human. "Ah, still awake I see." Pulling even harder on her hair, Aoede began to pull the entire gray hardsuit upright.

The agony was almost enough to send Sylia over the edge of consciousness. And yet, she still tried to fight back. Lifting her right arm up, she snap-extended her blade straight towards the leg of the black hardsuit.

Aoede was caught off-guard… almost. And that was enough to send her over the edge of reason. "Dammit!" she screamed, releasing her grip on Sylia's hair even as her foot nimbly dodged the blade… then slammed down hard directly onto the forearm of the gray enemy hardsuit. A sickening crunch signaled the end of usefulness of that arm to both combatants as Sylia screamed out the pain of the broken bones trapped inside. Aoede wasn't finished though. She planted her other foot onto the Sylia's opposite shoulder pinning her to the ground. The black hardsuit then reached down and gripped the underside of the gray hardsuits chestplate. With extra power to spare, Aoede pulled up on the armor. Sylia screamed again as she felt the metal tearing her apart from the inside out. At the last moment, the chestplate gave way ripping away from the rest of the wrecked hardsuit. Aoede tossed it to the side then gripped Sylia by the neck and hauled her up, the tips of her armored toes hanging just centimeters above the ground.

Sylia's neck was strained to its limits, holding up the weight of her body and the useless and powerless hardsuit. Fortunately for her, gravity helped to extend her life. The remains of the hardsuit slipped at first, then slowly gained momentum before finally sliding completely off her body, collapsing to the ground in a clunking heap.

Aoede gazed down at its remains and smiled… before an annoying pain brought her eyes back up to Sylia's.

She shouldn't have been conscious. She didn't even have business still being alive after fighting three other more powerful hardsuits in her condition. And yet, Sylia Stingray still defied her fate and her legacy. Even with the life being choked out of her by the boomer goddess, Sylia still managed to lift her intact arm and swing her bare fist at the black hardsuit.

The blows had no effect at all… except to amuse Aoede. "Why…" she started to ask before noticing the tears streaming down Sylia's face. She then looked closer into Sylia's eyes. Something flickered in the boomers memory, causing her to immediately seek out the mental hardsuit link to dive deep into Sylia's consciousness, searching for further answers.

The boomer's own crimson eyes flashed and she released her grip on Sylia's throat.

The human crumpled at the feet of the sotai, struggling with her breath as she coughed loudly.

Above her, the boomer's mind reeled with images of the past. Images from Sylia's point of view intermixed with her own. Those images of the Wiz Lab, of a young girl pounding on the glass above the workfloor. And the same images of her own engineered infancy, exploring the surrounding spaces and noticing the disturbance above. She could see both sides of the coin… and it nearly drove her insane. "You still blame me. You blame me now, just like you did years ago. You still blame me for your mother's death!" Aoede screamed at Sylia.

Sylia couldn't help but look up into the black hardsuit, even in her weakened condition. The visor of the helmet opened and she could see into the boomer's own tear filled eyes. She could see pure emotion, completely and totally different from every other time she had ever seen her father's horrid creation. And yet, she could still find no pity for it. "And why… why shouldn't I? It's your fault she died… you… you monster! It's your fault Galatea. It's all your fault!!!"

Aoede screamed as she grabbed Sylia by the front of her shirt and tossed her like a rag doll back towards the house. "Like HELL IT IS!!!"

Maybe under different circumstances Sylia would have noticed the Priss-like wail that came from the black hardsuit. But under her current circumstances Sylia was lucky just to shield her body enough not to shatter every other bone not already broken or bruised. Crashing onto her shoulder, Sylia rolled over twice before stopping at the feet of the other boomer. And through her pain, she gazed up into Mackey's blank eyes. Even in her current state, she found it in her still beating heart to feel pity for him.

Unfortunately for Sylia, and Mackey, Aoede sensed her feelings. "Why Sylia? Why him and not me???" she screamed, stalking up to the prone Knight Saber.

Trying to get upright but failing due to her injuries, Sylia clawed her way around Mackey's feet and towards the house in a feeble attempt to escape the boomer goddess' wrath. "You… your nothing like him. Your just an abomination… a monster…"

"A monster? And he's not?" she emphasized, pointing an armored finger at Mackey.

"He never asked to be made that way."

"And I did???"

For just an instant, Sylia saw a flash of a angry, upset little girl behind those eyes. But just for an instant. "… you… you never had an ounce of compassion. Never cared about anyone or anything but your own little playthings."

"Never cared. Not like I could before. But you still blame me. You blame me because I wasn't like him."

"Your not."

Aoede's eyes closed, trying to restrain the fury bubbling within. She shook her head side to side, then paused for a moment. "Oh, but you are wrong. You are so very wrong sister. You see, we're the same now," she proclaimed, opening her eyes and raising one hand towards her 'brother'. "Before I wasn't complete. But now, thanks to your Knight Sabers, I'm better now. In fact, I have it all, just like Mackey does. Now I have the best of both worlds, sister."

"What… what the hell are you talking about? You… you… your still nothing like Mackey. No matter what you do, you'll never be anything like him!"

"Never be like him? Never? I beg to differ." Aoede's right hand flexed, then exploded with crackles of green and red lighting. Her crimson eyes flared with raw energy, fury exploding from within. "I… I'll show you. I'll show you just how alike we are!!!" she cried, reaching back and plunging her fist deep into Mackey's prone body.

And even in his current lucid state, the boy boomer screamed. He screamed loud enough to nearly pierce Sylia's eardrums. And as the screaming continued, his body began to glow, multicolored sparks of energy bolted from all parts of his boomer frame.

One of those sparks struck Aoede's hardsuit square in the chest, blasting it backwards. The boomer fell and rolled to one side, the energy crackling all over the skin of the hardsuit until it began to liquefy and melt off of her body.

Mackey's own outer layers weren't fairing much better. The energy rippled in waves along both arms and legs, fraying and burning the edges of his pajamas… the pajamas specifically picked out by Nene. He fell to his knees, still screaming. The energy exploding from within his frame intensified further, then concentrated over his arms. His screaming died down to just mere groans and wails of agony as he crossed his arms over his chest, trying to hold in the now bubbling and boiling metal and organic stew his body was quickly becoming.

With the volume level now tolerable, Sylia was able to look up from her prone position on the ground as the boomer boy fell over, the arcing energy now burning the ground under him. "MACKEY!"

* * *

The red bike pulled up to the trailer, the lights bouncing off the words "The Priss", coated in a grimy muck. The front wheel stopped by the remains of an old, beige computer monitor. Priss flipped the kickstand down and hopped off. Taking her helmet off, she peered around searching for anything badly out of place. It still appeared just as haphazard and junk filled as ever… save the few extra boomer carcasses lying around.

"Home sweet home," Priss mumbled, setting the helmet down on the bike. She carefully walked up to her old trailer, inspecting the cracked open door and what little she could see inside. "Doesn't look like anyone squatted," she said to herself. Peeking her head inside, Priss saw it was even more of a disaster area than before. She flicked the light switch just in case there was power. And, as expected, nothing happened. Turning back towards the bedroom she carefully stepped her way through the darkness. Even with the lack of light, she could see her bedroom door slightly ajar. She reached out to open the handle… then felt something grab at her foot. The resulting scream echoed outside the trailer, bouncing off the surrounding buildings.

* * *

Overlooking the 'Kanto Valley of Hell', another bike pulled up to the edge. Its male rider peered down into the abyss that Priss used to call home. He searched around, picking out anything that appeared familiar. "Wait, over there," he murmured out loud. The man turned the wheel of the bike and drove down into the pit a few hundred meters, before having to stop in order to navigate around some more wrecked boomers blocking the road. With the engine idled, he was able to hear a familiar woman's scream bouncing off the walls of the ruins below.

"Priss?" Leon thought he recognized the voice. Punching the accelerator, he used the boomers as a makeshift ramp and sped down the winding road. Within a half kilometer everything became recognizable enough for him to find the trail to Priss' trailer… the place he suspected that she was going to after leaving Kumamoto… and leaving Linna.

Turning the corner through the rundown alley, Leon first spotted Priss' old bike, then her trailer. Pulling up to a stop, he soon found Priss herself. She stood in the doorway of the trailer, heaving in deep breaths, holding her chest with one hand and her head with the other. "What's wrong?" Leon yelled over his idling engine, then cutting it off in the next instant.

Priss didn't acknowledge Leon's presence, but she did reach down to her feet.

Leon couldn't see exactly what Priss picked up at first, but he had a very good view of it after Priss heaved in directly at his head. "Hey!" he yelled, ducking out of the way.

"Huh? What?" Priss remarked confused. "Who's… what… Leon? Is that you?" she finally recognized.

"Yeah," he responded, scratching his head with a faint smile on his face. His demeanor then turned more serious. "It's been a while."

For her part, Priss found her own face with a faint smile, an emotion tied to the man standing before her. "It has been a while."

They both stood like that, staring into each other's eyes for a few moments. Leon was first to break the shared trance. "So, uh, I thought I heard a scream…" Even in the darkness, Leon thought he could make out a slight reddish tint on Priss' cheeks.

"It's nothing. Just some boomer parts lying around the trailer."

"You thought they were still alive?" Leon guessed.

"No!" Priss lied, drawing a small chuckle from the man.

He stretched a bit, then pulled himself off the bike, standing upright next to the machine. Looking down at the littered ground for a moment, he composed his thoughts… or tried to. Sighing he just began to let his thoughts flow out.

"When we found what was left of your hardsuit in those jungles, I thought for sure you were dead. But then, I heard that you just 'showed up' at Linna' house in Kumamoto. I didn't know what to think anymore. We spent months looking anywhere and everywhere for you. And then, to just out of the blue, walk back to her… I mean, I… I… I know we didn't leave on the best of terms… but I had hoped… well… I just thought…" Pausing, he finally looked up into Priss' eyes. She didn't look very pleased, to say the least.

"Idiot. I don't remember anything except for the last month," Priss interjected angrily.

"Oh," Leon added, embarrassed turning his eyes towards the ground. But then another thought flashed. He asked the question, but was too timid, too afraid of the possible answers to even look up while asking. "Anything? Not even us?"

Priss sighed. "Conversation was never your strong point, Leon."

"Huh?" Confused, he looked up into the former singer's face and found more agitation… and a bit of a blush as well. And then the meaning of her words dawned on him. "Um, yeah, I guess not," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his head with a big smirk plastered on his face.

Priss shook her head, putting one hand on her trailer doorframe. Taking a glance back inside and then around the area, she turned towards Leon. "Okay Mr. Proud of Yourself, since you're just standing around, why don't you clean up some of this mess," she said with a nod towards a pile of wrecked boomers lying by the door.

Leon didn't have to think hard about that one. "No problem. I'd be glad to, although I don't suppose you have anything to eat or drink?" he asked through a grumbling stomach.

The former Knight Saber answered with a small laugh. "Good one cop. Why don't you use your survival training and dig up some food when you're done with that trash over there?"

The former ADP man sighed, his shoulders sagging, defeated. "Guess I should have seen it coming."

"Heads up!" Priss yelled, tossing another boomer remnant out of the trailer door, barely missing him yet again.

He ducked again, then scurried over to the side of the trailer. "Never thought I'd be running towards boomers for safety," he mumbled jokingly to himself. He let out a smile at the thought of at least being back in Priss' life. But now that this part of his plan was complete, the hard part came next. The part where he worked his way back into her heart for good…

* * *

Aoede floated on the edge of reality. Her constructed form lay damaged from the energy surge that was ripping Mackey apart, but her thoughts drifted from the images of his agonizing cries to another set of images. These images weren't ones she had experienced personally, though. They were from a different time and place. And even if Aoede didn't need sleep, she found that her mind was still capable of dreaming… since the current form of her being appeared to be thrust into the place of those past images.

There, she found herself back in Tokyo. In fact, it was the same time as her last meeting with her "father". A small part of her presence recalled the instinct to survive the attack from Genom… but on the other hand, she felt the helplessness of a young girl… a girl who could hear the cries of her family trapped underneath mounds and mounds of earthquake rubble. She could hear and feel the cries… and more damning, she could feel the panic of the young girl. She wished she could help. And in her 'dreams' she tried to will the concrete away. But in this place and time, she had no power over any of her surroundings to make a difference.

And then she awoke. From the remnant liquid pool of her hardsuit, the young boomer goddess stared at her handiwork, her crimson eyes emblazed. But even now, with all the chaos that she wanted and craved, all the insanity that swirled around her, the broken spirits and bodies of her rivals and enemies, her newfound emotions still clouded her path. And, staring into the crackling energy wracking Mackey's body, she felt one strong sensation:

Guilt.

"What have I done?" As her conscience spoke, her body rose up from the ground, willing her legs to move forward, towards her sibling. Her body was able to take two small steps before another blast of energy struck her in the shoulder, throwing her backwards several meters, twirling through the air before landing hard on the ground once again, this time completely unconscious.

The energy ball grew from Mackey's chest, enveloping his entire body. He struggled upright, stumbling away from the house and in the general direction of the makeshift morgue. Just a few feet from the tombstones, he collapsed onto his knees, the energy ball continuing to flow and expand. Lightning crackled onto the tree branches above the graves, singeing the leaves and scorching the bark. His eyes, glowing in multicolored stereo, nevertheless focused on wording of the tombstone. A few moments later, a billowing, thunderous roar exploded from Mackey's chest of sufficient magnitude to rival that of any rogue boomer the Knight Sabers had ever faced.

Sylia, unable to do anything but lie on her front porch steps, weakly cried out for her brother. "… mackey… mackey…"

The raw power continued to arc from his body, setting the tree above into flames. Finally, he reared his head back and let out a deathly scream, signaling that the young boomer boy had reached the end of his limits. The energy globe surrounding him continued to grow and grow, the lighting spokes seemingly reaching for the sky above.

It was just then that Sylia caught a glimpse of something hurtling over the top of her, down the stairs and running straight for the energy ball.

And in one instant, Nene dove into that energy ball just as a blinding light mushroomed over the countryside, coating everything in its wrought power.

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: One more chapter left? We'll see… 


	23. Ch 22: My Woman in Tokyo

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 22 – "My Woman in Tokyo"

"I still remember the tears in your eyes the moment I woke up. And I remember those first words you spoke to me. You said 'I don't care if you're not human. I will always love you Mackey Stingray… always'. I realized very quickly what had happened. And I knew it was your voice that brought me back. From that moment on, I had to protect you. So when you were going off to the tower, I did what I could to keep you safe. And in space, I couldn't let you die out there. Even though I barely existed then, I had to reach you. And when I remembered your voice I knew how. That's why I called to you in space. I knew you would respond to me. And you did. You're still here Nene. You are still alive. And now, I want you to follow my voice again. Just one more time Nene, please."

Mackey held the badly disfigured girl in his arms, her body glowing from the energy of his own reconstructed form. But even as the healing waves flowed from his newly found strength, a worried look spread further and further across his face. There was much healing that she required… and required immediately. Her clothing was either completely burned off or fused to the burnt flesh underneath. And there wasn't much of that flesh left intact from the searing waves of energy that had threatened to rip his body apart from the inside out. And unfortunately, the damage on the skin was just the beginning of the complications for Nene, as those arcs of electrical power had coursed directly through her body, literally cooking her internal organs like a microwave oven. The only reason she was still alive at all was the fact that the impact her voice and touch had on Mackey was almost immediate… and it allowed him to halt the destructive power being unleashed from deep within his constructed form, to bring it under control. However, it still wasn't in time to prevent the young Knight Saber from being critically injured... possibly beyond anyone's hope, including his own. "Please Nene, hang on just a bit longer."

A moaning sound from behind Mackey drew a fraction of his attention away from the young girl… and towards the creature that was responsible for the destruction in the first place. Aoede pushed herself upright, flaked remains of her black hardsuit sprinkled on the ground around her. "… Mackey… Mackey are you…"

"QUIET!" he commanded.

Aoede wobbled upright, and then staggered over towards her brother. "… please… please let me help…" If his words hadn't convinced the boomer goddess of his intentions before, the burning red eyes he glared at her with next certainly did.

"YOU HAVE HELPED ENOUGH!!" he barked at her. And then, even as he continued to hold Nene and try and 'repair' the damage done by Aoede, he directed his other hand towards the boomer. A white-hot lighting bolt flashed out and struck Aoede directly in her chest, knocking her backwards several meters once again.

When Aoede recovered, she struggled to stand once more. But once upright, this time she didn't try to interfere with Mackey or Sylia, she simply turned around and staggered to Katsumi and Jill's car, fell into the drivers seat and drove herself away from the Stingray house.

Mackey gave one more glance towards the car speeding off down the dirt road and then focused all his attention back to Nene, trying desperately to keep her alive.

* * *

"Are you sure you're going to be okay out here… all alone?"

"Leon, I've lived out here 'alone' for four years," Priss chided.

The man gave out a not so subtle huff from his perch just outside the somewhat cleaned up pink trailer. "Maybe, but things are a lot different now. The International Police haven't exactly restored order to places like this," he accentuated by waving his arms around, pointing out the metal vine entangled ruins.

Priss simply sighed. "Leon, you really think this place was any different after the quake? And now I don't even have to worry about boomers going mad."

"Or worse," Leon added, with more understanding than he wish he had.

The former singer bowed her head from the top of the steps of her trailer, nodding a faint "yeah" in response.

A still silence settled over the desolate parking lot before Leon cleared his throat nervously. "Yeah, well, I still don't feel comfortable leaving you by yourself… especially considering you said you were still recovering from whatever happened to you during that last battle."

"Idiot. If I wasn't okay, then I wouldn't have left Kumamoto."

"You mean you wouldn't have left Linna."

"That's not what I said!"

"But its what you meant, wasn't it?"

"Leon, why do you have to be such a jerk sometimes?"

"Look, Priss… I… well… damnit! I love you Priss!" He raised his head up and stared into shocked brown eyes staring back at him. His face flushed, but he knew he couldn't back down now. "I'm sorry if I sound jealous, but I am, and I have been, I guess. It took me a while to figure it all out, but when I heard you were in Kumamoto with Linna… I just… I don't know… I wanted to barge in, break the damn doors down and steal you away from her. I just… I felt that after everything that had happened because of that girl, and with you still alive, I wanted to save you from her."

"… leon…"

"Yeah, I know, I know. It's stupid and crazy and insane. But, so was what you did! For Christ sake, you flew into outer space just to save her drunk ass! And then, Linna was the one that made it back! I thought you were dead, even though we still looked for you. But, it wasn't fair. You had gone up to rescue her and you didn't come back. None of it seemed fair. And then, you were staying with her… at her house. But, I swore, I promised myself that if I had just one chance, just a hint of a crack with you one more time… I wasn't going to waste it. I don't know everything that happened between the two of you and I have no idea what draws you to her, but it doesn't matter. I know what we have. I know what I felt with you… what we felt together. And I know that means something to you Priss, I know it. And I know it's got to be better than the hell that Linna's put you through. Just give me a chance Priss. Give us one more chance."

Priss stared at the pleading man, her heart pounding in her chest. She raised one hand over that heart and gave her shirt a tug. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. The woman bowed her head; her short bangs just barely covering her eyes. Finally, a few words did come to her. "I can't."

Leon took two steps up the stairs and stood just a breath away from her. "Don't fight this Priss." He gently laid his hands on her shoulders, trying to give a reassuring squeeze. "I know you. And I know how stubborn you can be, but all I'm asking for is a chance. That's it. Don't turn your back on me, please." Those brown eyes rose up and gazed back at his, and the emotion he saw there caused his own heart to skip a beat.

A faint smile spread across her lips as Priss patted one of Leon's hands with her own. "I won't. And, I can feel it. It's starting to come back to me. But…" she turned her head to the side as she stepped back from him and into the trailer. "… I can't promise anything Leon. I'm just getting the pieces back in place, and I don't know where everything is going to fall yet. I just need some time, please," she tried to pull away from his remaining hand, only to have him reach down and grip her arm. Before she had time to protest he was above her, pulling her into a kiss.

Priss' head swam with raw emotions, a faint dizziness clouded her purpose. Her head tilted back reflexively, accepting his advance for just a moment before she realized what has happening. And when she did, both hands flashed up and pushed hard into his chest and tried to push him away. But, in her weakened state, it was no use.

However, Leon felt the pressure and knew his message had been received. He broke the lengthy kiss and held Priss at arms length. He took a breath, turning to one side, creating some space between them in the small trailer. "I can give you some time, but I wanted to make sure you knew how I felt before I left. Do you understand? I'm serious."

She glanced up into his stern eyes and knew his intentions. She nodded, then tried to turn away again. But he would not let go of her arms, applying just enough pressure to maintain his grip, but not enough to hurt her.

Leon held onto Priss until she finally stopped struggling with him. Only then did he release her. He raised one hand and gently stroked the side of her pale face, brushing the short hair away from her ear. "Listen. I'll find another place to stay. I'll give you your space but know that I won't be far. Do you have a Navi?"

Priss nodded silently in the direction of the counter next to the sink, folding her arms across her chest defensively. Leon walked over, found the blue device and checked the number. He proceeded to plug it into his own Navi and then programmed his number into hers, making a note of the fact that his number appeared before Linna's in her directory… and resisting a very real urge to delete it from the list. "If anything happens, call me. I know you think you can handle everything on your own, but you're not a Knight Saber anymore and you don't have a hardsuit to protect you."

Too flustered to argue, Priss simply nodded at him as she stood in place.

Leon walked over and gave a reassuring hug, letting it linger for as long as he though he could get away with. Priss kept her arms folded however, and finally Leon gave up and walked out the door and down the steps to his bike.

Priss stood motionless, watching the man straddle his bike, turn the engine over, flip the light on and drive off into the Tokyo night. Only after the echoes from his motorcycle engine finally faded into the background noises did she move towards the door to slide it closed. She padded to the back of the trailer and collapsed onto her freshly made bed. Staring at her blank ceiling, her mind drifted to the former ADP officer and his firm gaze. And as she waited for sleep to find her, one hand drifted to her face, tracing the outline of her lips…

* * *

The private jet punched through the top of the clouds, engines screaming near their maximum output. It pitched to the left and circled around a peak of the Swiss Alps, breaking off the turn as it reached its desired heading. Inside the jet, the lone passenger shivered in her seat, holding her body with two shaking arms wrapped around her own torso. Aoede couldn't look outside the window to see the departing country below… she couldn't stand any more reminders of her actions. Even still, the images continued to flash inside of her memory. Her original intentions weren't to permanently injure any of her 'extended family'.

Jill and Katsumi's condition had surprised the young being, especially their disdain for Sylia. And 'playing' with Nene was always fun sport. However, Sylia's actions were unforgiveable. There didn't seem to be any way to make amends with her no matter how much Aoede had originally intended to. It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did when Sylia burst from the basement of the house with a hardsuit. And she hadn't had much of a choice except to battle her. However, those guilty feelings of just how she had chosen to handle the situation continued to boil over in her conscience. _Mackey._

She could still feel the hate brimming from the back of his restored mind. And that was the part that still stung the most… the fact that her original mission had been to repair the damage that her former self had inflicted upon her 'brother' in the past. And, even though she had accomplished that mission, he was still so inflamed as to actually attack her. That image, Mackey holding the damaged and dying Nene, it burned into the back of her mind.

Worse yet was the love she could feel from Mackey for that human girl, and the opposite reaction when he had turned in her direction. "Does family mean that little between Boomers?", she whispered to herself, confused thoughts dancing from the edges of her reasoning. But from the edges of her thoughts, other images reflected from the recesses of her new form. Those images spurned her into action anew. Images of a little girl, torn from her family by an earthquake, the origins of which she knew far too much about, haunted those thoughts. Love, life, family, boomers, betrayal, death… there was only one place to go to try to make sense of her madness now… back to her origins… back to Tokyo.

* * *

Even as blood flowed from the fresh wound and off the fingertips of his limp arm, the Chinese scientist didn't have time to concern himself with that. "Modulate the frequency in the mid tones!" he barked out the order to a subordinate typing on a crimson stained keyboard.

"R… Roger!" the younger scientist replied nervously. "Modulating… 150-175 Hz… feedback confirmed!"

Both men poured over the lone display still working… the right most of the tri-display as it was… watching as two hardsuits battled in an area much too close for both their comfort. The grey hardsuit ducked just in time to avoid a knucklebomb smash from a matching red hardsuit, its visor followed the blow into the wall behind it as said wall exploded into rubble. The control room shook violently from the force of the nearby explosion.

"How much feedback? Can you isolate the frequency??" the elder man yelled, gripping the back of the chair the other scientist was sitting in tightly.

"It's not matching… feedback is variable and still oscillating!"

The standing man slammed his bloody hand down next to the keyboard. "Widen the range then! Try multiple frequencies!!"

"Multiple? But the circuits weren't…"

"I know that! Just do it!!"

The younger man's hands flew across the keyboard, skimming the code in one corner of the monitor while the two hardsuits grappled in the opposite one. Suddenly, the grey hardsuit slumped to the ground, its metal skin faintly glowing a bluish hue. Through the speakers in the control room a hellish scream erupted just as the grey hardsuit's hands gripped either side of its helmet.

"The hardsuit can't withstand it!" the younger scientist warned, one hand racing over to a red button at the center of the console.

But the elder scientist grabbed his wrist, stopping it from reaching the self-destruct button. "Give it a moment! This is our last chance to stop the phenomena… all the other hardsuit prototypes are either infected, destroyed or both."

"But the pilot…"

"…will be dead either way!" he finished for his less experienced comrade. "We have to see this through Jun."

A beeping noise drew both men's attention to the screen as the red hardsuit lifted up one arm and drew forth the blade stored there. They held their breath as the hardsuit stood above its prone victim, prepared to level the decisive blow. But on the screen, just before the deathblow could be delivered, a lone message signaled from the opposite corner from the battle: "Frequencies Isolated"

"We've got it!" the sitting scientist yelled.

"Redirect and broadcast now!" the older man ordered, even as the younger man was following his order.

Jun hit the keys hard one last time. "Broadcasting!"

The red hardsuit shivered, then slumped backwards into a pile of rubble. The grey hardsuit then stood upright, extended her blade and quickly struck out, severing the helmet from the disabled red hardsuit. The helmet rolled to a stop a meter away as the rest of the hardsuit collapsed over, a matching red pool of liquid quickly growing beneath the shoulder touching the ground.

Another distant explosion shook the control room as the two men inside finally exhaled. The young man still shook at the gruesome sight before him while the elder scientist reached for a microphone beside him. "Zhing, do you read me?"

"Affirmative," replied the young Chinese woman, even as her shaky voice tried to remain calm over the speaker in the control room.

"You are now broadcasting a blocking signal from your hardsuit. You need to find the other prototypes and attempt to recover the pilots if you can. We'll take care of the recovery of whatever this one was."

The grey hardsuit flexed its right arm, the visor panning over from the fallen red hardsuit to the detached helmet lying sideways on the ground. There, signature black hair flowed from around the now exposed areas and lay stuck in the small puddle of blood on the tiled surface. "Understand," she replied coldly, before springing down the hallway and out of temporary sight of the camera.

In the control room, the monitor flickered and then opened up two more windows displaying two other grey hardsuits busy wreaking havoc in different parts of the complex. Just then, the sound of footsteps behind them drew the two nervous scientists around from the console. One of the complex's military men ran through the melted remains of the doorway and almost tripped over the two white-coated bodies lying there.

"Lieutenant Chong!" the young scientist exclaimed relieved.

The military man took a quick survey of the damage and the two hardsuits on the screen before walking up to the two remaining scientists. "Thank goodness you weren't completely wiped out down here."

"It was close. Zhing just did get here in time," the elder man answered. "And we have even better news now. We've isolated a form of the phenomena and actually blocked it. Zhing should be able to stop the other hardsuits now."

"Then we've done it! But…" The Lieutenant paused, before pulling a chip from his watch. He walked up to the console and loaded the chip into an open, undamaged slot. "Load this file Jun," he ordered the subordinate scientist.

The young man quickly typed in a few keystrokes and opened up the requested data source and the file. Four new windows opened in the front of the working monitor above. In each window, a different woman or pair of women was displayed. The military man took a laser pointer from his pocket and started with the top right corner window.

"These are the other subjects that have come in direct contact with the phenomena. Both the Americans and our agent failed to apprehend these two," he said stoically, pointing at a blond and dark haired pair of women. His pointer moved to the window below showing file photos of a shorter blond and a taller light blue haired woman. "But all four of them are still in Switzerland from what our intelligence indicates. As for these three," he pointed at the two windows to the left. In one window was a pair of brunettes. The other was a glamorous shot of a blond in stage clothing.

"Wait! Is that… Aoede??" the young Chinese scientist exclaimed. The Lieutenant ignored him for the moment.

"They are likely in or around Tokyo, Japan currently. As a last resort, we were going to apprehend all of them and extract the cure by whatever means necessary. However, if you are confident we have the solution now, the mission has changed."

Both scientists stared intently at the military man with differing ideas of the meaning of his statement. The elder man spoke first, however. "They are expendable and a security threat, correct?"

"If we have the key to the phenomena now, we must not let anyone else get their hands on it. And these subjects are that key."

The young scientist's head swiveled back to the screen in disbelief, staring at the singer now famous throughout the world. "It can't be…"

"Assuming we have two functioning hardsuits available, prep them for their mission immediately. These seven must be eliminated as soon as possible."

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: So much for the one more chapter plan XP


	24. Ch 23: Heat of the Knight

Another Fortunate Accident

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 23 – "Heat of the Knight"

* * *

Linna hung precariously just on the edge of sleep. Rays of sunshine flickered through the top of her bedroom window, projecting hues of red, white, green and even blue onto her ceiling. Her eyelids lay still, taking in the moment before a call from the back of the recesses of her mind begged her to close her eyes to return into the dream. And as she slightly stretched under the covers, her tired body agreed with the suggestion and pulled the edge of the comforter over her head. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she paused, struggling to recall just what that particular dream had been about and why she wanted to go back so badly. As Linna searched her foggy memory, a crystal clear image of Priss dressed in her leather singing gear flashed across the stage of her dreams… and she returned.

"But you have to go on without me," Priss repeated into the microphone, standing on the barren, empty stage of the Hot Legs club just as she seemingly had a few moments ago. And suddenly Linna didn't want to be there anymore... again.

"What do you mean go on without you? You can't leave me Priss, you can't! It's not fair!"

"Life's not always fair Linna. Didn't you learn anything in Tokyo?"

"Don't patronize me Priss! I love you, damnit! I'll follow you wherever you go, no matter what!" Linna's heart was pounding in her chest as she stood just mere meters away from the stage… and yet, her legs grew heavier and heavier as she tried to get closer to the stage. She had to get to Priss. She had to hold her one more time… "Just, don't leave me… please!"

"Linna, you already let me go …"

"But that was just so you could find yourself again!" she cried, her legs now anchored to the floor, the roots of the wood below holding her in place. "Why do you have to go again? Where are you going?"

On stage, the lights flicked on behind Priss, glowing multicolored streaks of light. They rotated behind the singer, forming patterns that mesmerized the lone fan below in the persona of a young country girl. And at once, the lights pulsed to a reddish green tint and focused squarely on Priss. "I'm going to a place where you can't follow, and where time and space have no meaning." And as she spoke, the lights began to climb outward, shining their light out from the stage and into Linna's eyes.

"Priss…"

The red and green hues strengthened to blinding white pillars of energy, flooding the scene in its warmth and purity. An omnipresent sound, almost an otherworldly voice reminiscent of Priss resonated from that energy. "Goodbye Linna."

"… priss…?" Confused, Linna reached out and shoved the covers from over her head. They flew through the air and landed off the edge of her bed. She opened her eyes and found her room awash in the bright morning sun, shining directly through her window, heating up her dislodged blanket. Her right hand clutched the hardsuit fragment hung close to her heart, it's pounding shaking her whole body. But another pang from a little lower on her abdomen flared as well. She rubbed it with her left hand unsure if it was a hunger pang… or perhaps an artifact from other more painful times.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly as she collapsed back into her pillow. "Just a dream," she sighed. And this time she was sure she didn't want to repeat it. Her heart slowed its drumming, clearing Linna's ears and allowing her to listen to the morning chirps of birds outside. And then she became aware of another persistent vibrating noise. She turned her head over to her computer desk and quickly located the source of the noise… "My navi?"

Springing from the bed, she rushed over to see if it was a message from who she hoped it was. On the small LCD read out a message: "1 text waiting". Linna didn't wait to read it. A few clicks and she was reading the text message. The sender: Priss.

"come to tokyo tonight. i'm singing at a club. meet me at my trailer by 8. priss."

Linna's hands trembled as she put the navi back on the desk. Her heart now accelerated, racing fast enough to make her lightheaded. All Linna could think about was Priss… and that this was finally what she had been waiting for. In the back of her mind, she counted the three days since Priss had left and tried to convince herself that this wasn't enough time and that it didn't really mean anything other than Priss just showing Linna that she was making progress. But her heart wouldn't have any of it.

And then it hit her. "Eight? Tonight??" Her eyes bulged, then scoured the room in search of a clock. "9:23 am!!" Her feet were running for the shower before she could even think about everything else she had to do to make it to Tokyo by nightfall. Normally it would have only been a few hours on a bullet train. But thanks to an underground nuclear detonation, the boomer plague and rampant reconstruction, getting to Tokyo wasn't as easy as it was just one year ago. But she'd come this far... Linna Yamazaki wasn't going to let a little thing like not enough time stop her from seeing Priss tonight.

* * *

In the trailer, the blue navi flashed out the "read receipt" message. The female form smiled, then tossed the navi over her shoulder, causing it to clink and clank across the hollow metal floor. She walked out the smashed door and down the stairs, the blond woman hitting the bottom step awkwardly. A stinging pain rang through her left side and arm. Gripping the source of the pain through her black cloak, Aoede smirked. "And now I know why humans say that pain makes them feel alive," she smiled through gritted teeth. She panned around the devastated area. "If we're going to have a guest, then things need to get cleaned up around here."

Her crimson eyes flashed, and the boomer wreckages to her right creaked and groaned back to life, their zombie like forms fusing and forming into grotesque shadows of their former selves. One boomer in particular lumbered upright, its hand screeching against the metal side of the trailer directly across the letters "The Priss"… and as a consequence smearing the fresh blood dripping down its freshly dented and scratched side.

* * *

"And that should eliminate the source of the outage," the woman announced from behind her terminal. Her eyes moved up and into the elderly gentleman's face, a little too polite smile on her lips. "We should be able to have our crews get to your house in the next 12 to 24 hours."

"I imagine that will have to suffice," Henderson replied curtly, wiping the sweat from his brow just thinking about enduring another day of no air conditioning inside the sweltering house during the hot summer day.

"Swiss Power and Light thanks you very much for your understanding and patience!" she announced as the butler quickly exited the front reception area of the SPL offices and smartly walked to his curbside parked car. With his errands done of setting appointments to restore wired phone and electric service to the house among other things, he sped out of the town and back to the Stingray family home.

A little short of half and hour later, the butler pulled up beside Nene's relatively new car. Henderson stood up from the drivers seat, stretching his aching back. He paused while looking at the small red vehicle, a sad frown creeping in place. "She deserved so much better than this…"

He closed the door and walked around the back and towards the entrance to the house, passing an unfamiliar car along the way as he weaved in and around ruts and gouges cut into the ground from just a few days previous. Just at the bottom of the stairs to the porch, Henderson heard the click of the door handle above him and peered up into the eyes of the doctor he had first contacted in town. "Do you have good news?" he queried, hopeful.

His hope was as short as the doctors glance as he quickly walked past Henderson and back to his car. The only response the doctor gave was to shake his head from side to side.

Henderson bowed his head and walked up the porch stairs and directly up to the top of the candlelit stairs inside the house. There, he walked into the naturally lit bedroom that had previously been Mackey's semi-permanent resting spot. And there, above the bed stood the young boomer boy himself, completely whole and intact despite the torture endured during the battle. This time, however, he was watching over another figure lying in the bed… in the form of a severely burned, heavily bandaged and comatose young woman. And if Henderson didn't already know who was lying in the bed, there was no way to recognize Nene through all the wraps and coverings applied to the remains of her skin.

"Master Mackey…" Henderson started, before stopping, uncertain of how to word the tough question.

Mackey responded much as the doctor had, simply shaking his head side to side.

"Then we need to get her to a hospital as soon as we can," Henderson suggested firmly.

The young boy didn't see it that way though. "We can't. For the same reason you couldn't bring me to the hospital, we can't risk it."

"But she will most certainly die if we don't get her help immediately!"

Mackey bowed his head and smiled softly. "It wouldn't really matter even if we tried to bring her to a hospital. Current human medical capabilities aren't enough to save Nene in her current state. And besides that…" Mackey's body began to glow in an evanescent rainbow of color, his hands lowered down to the crippled and broken body of his young love. "…I will not let Nene die Henderson. I won't let it happen."

Henderson stood back in awe. "Master Mackey…"

Over his shoulder, the young boomer called out to the elderly man. "Henderson, down in Sylia's lab you can find some gathered parts in a pile next to the primary test chamber. Please bring those to me."

"Gathered parts?" Henderson was going to ask further but decided at this juncture that time was not something to be taken lightly. However, one other point of contention did come to mind. "What of the other Sotai? Do you still intend to stop her?"

Mackey sighed even as he turned his attention back to Nene, shaking his head. "If I follow her to Tokyo, then Nene will die. I can't leave her… especially after Nene saved my life while disregarding her own."

"But what of the others? I thought that Mistress Priss just returned to Tokyo."

"We will have to hope that Priss can take care of herself. Despite what happened here, Aoede is different from Galatea. She is more tied to her human emotions and feelings."

Henderson wasn't exactly convinced. "But do you trust her Master Mackey?"

That was a question that he didn't have to answer verbally. Henderson understood the silent affirmation and quickly shuffled down the hall. He passed the bedrooms containing the other resting women, checking on Sylia, Jill and Katsumi for just a moment. After verifying that all were resting as comfortably as they could, he headed towards the basement of the house, his mind wondering about the ultimate purpose of the parts he would find there.

* * *

_Just what the hell am I doing back in Tokyo!?_ Linna chided herself while speeding past yet another abandoned military checkpoint. After going from elation to depression to hope to anger and back again, she was becoming growingly confused and discouraged as more and more reminders of the horrors from the Tokyo boomer plague she had unleashed into the city streets came into view. And the closer she got to Tokyo central, the stronger those feelings became. And not just the feelings, but the vivid memories also came back to her as well. But as those memories replayed themselves, not all of them were of the bad kind:

Coming to Tokyo, getting chased by a boomer, getting saved by Priss and Nene, meeting Sylia and the Knight Sabers, her first mission, getting saved by Priss again, meeting Priss out by her trailer and having a sandwich with her, then watching Priss sing alone at the club after chasing down the roadster boomer, and telling Priss about the setup meeting with her parents, and the coming back and saving Priss from the oversized military boomer.

All those thoughts carried Linna through the cleared inner streets of Tokyo and all the way through to the Kanto quake area… and to Priss' trailer. She idled the engine of her 'borrowed' motorcycle and coasted the last half-kilometer down to the strangely cleared area around the trailer. The sun was much lower in the sky as her watch read 7:55 pm. Shadows filled area that the trailer was parked, pitching much of it into near darkness. Turning on the light on the bike, Linna pulled up to the trailer and stopped the bike. "Just in time," she sighed. She set the kickstand down and peeled herself off the seat.

Her hands started to pull the helmet off her sweat-covered hair when a light flashed from an alley to the side of the empty space nearly a full block away. She glanced over to see the headlight of a familiar motorcycle blinking… and a very familiar shape sitting astride the red bike, waving in her direction. Even with the difficulty seeing because of the shadows, Linna knew it could only be one person wearing that black leather jacket and blue helmet with red stripes.

"Priss!" Linna called out, quickly hopping back on her temporary ride and starting it back up again. But no sooner had she turned over the engine than the other bike turned around in the alley and started to drive away. "Wait! Priss!" she tried to yell over the accelerating roar. The figure threw up her arm and appeared to wave for Linna to follow.

Linna sped over to the alley as fast as she could. Even so, the other bike was already turning left around another corner and speeding down a wider street. Linna quickly hit the corner and veered left, gunning the engine to try and keep pace. But Priss had already put some distance and speed between them. It was all Linna could do just to keep the other bike in her vision. And as she struggled to keep up, dodging boomer carcasses and wreckage along the way, a familiar pattern seemed to appear. Just as Linna would start to close the gap, Priss would weave into another street or alley, changing directions. It would take Linna a few moments to figure out which way she had turned so by the time she could see Priss in the clear again, the other bike was just out of reach once more. And it didn't take very long for a sense of déjà-vu to wash over the confused country girl, clearing up her doubts and warming her body with fresh adrenaline.

This was exactly the same way she had followed Priss to the Silky Doll… when Linna had first joined the Knight Sabers in the seemingly distant past. And now Priss seemed to be replaying that moment for Linna, in the present. But just when Linna thought she had a handle on Priss' movements, the bike darted down a short alleyway, her tires screeching through the sharp turn. Linna had to slam on her brakes to try and follow but missed the turn anyway. Backtracking a few meters, she headed down the narrow alley… but with no sign of Priss ahead. Linna hurried as quick as she could to the end, trying to find out which way the singer had turned. However, looking down both directions in the next road, there was no sign of Priss or her bike.

Linna held back her fears and tried to get her bearings. Looking up and around and then to the street signs, she quickly found she wasn't too far from the likely destination. She turned to the left and towards the heart of Soho ward… and towards Hot Legs where Priss would probably be singing… that is if the club were still standing.

* * *

Sylia gingerly stood up, fighting off the waves of nausea between the various other aches and pains she currently had. However, it was the ones that she didn't have that raised the most questions for the light haired woman, the ones that pushed her upright and out of her rest. She raised and flexed her right arm, the one that Aoede had broken in the battle. Besides a slight tightening of the muscles, it seemed perfectly fine. She leaned over and checked the bedside clock one more time just to make sure. It still confirmed the same thing… only one day had passed… not nearly enough time for that or any of her other injuries to heal.

Stepping into her slippers, Sylia opened the door to her bedroom and peered around. Everything still seemed to be in the same general order that it was before. However, she saw a faint glow at the end of the hallway, just beneath another door and began to carefully walk in that direction. Passing the next bedroom, she heard a soft moan and paused. Curious, she opened the door and peered inside. In the bed lay a young blond with longer hair than Nene's. And if there was any question as to the identity of that person, the metallic arm that rested on top of the sheets beside the woman answered them for certain. "Jill."

The sound roused the original red saber, her blue eyes cracking open, pulling towards her voice. "Sylia," she answered, her dry throat cracking as she spoke.

That one word brought back a torrent of memories and emotions. It was the lone word Jill had spoken after their last failed action as Knight Sabers years ago, just before she had lost consciousness. "I'm sorry," Sylia quickly apologized, retreating to the hallway and closing the door.

"Sylia, wait!" Jill's voice grew in strength and purpose.

Something in that voice stopped her in her tracks, just before she could close the door all the way. Leaving it open just a crack, she waited. After a brief pause, she heard a rustling of sheets on the other side of the door. Soft footsteps quickened Sylia's pulse before a metal hand reached up and gently pulled the door open. And Sylia could easily see the remorse and sadness in those blue eyes that now gazed into hers.

"… jill…"

"Sylia, I… I think I understand now. I didn't know what you were really dealing with before. But, she came for us. The sotai… and I saw… somehow, through her eyes, your eyes…" And that was as much as Jill could say before those images came rushing back again. Before they overwhelmed her, a gentle touch on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"It's okay, Jill. I…" Just then, a growing humming noise drew their attention to the end of the hallway and towards the glow underneath a certain door.

"Isn't that Mackey's room?" Jill asked.

"Well, it was…" Sylia answered unsure, vaguely recalling the last few moments after the battle with Aoede, and what had happened to Mackey. "But wait, weren't you hurt in the battle?" she asked looking Jill over.

The woman patted herself down, checking herself over. "I… think I was. It's… kind of hard to remember. Kat and I were both under the sotai's influence, somehow. But, how would she be able to use the phenomenon on a human?"

Just then, a door not quite at the end of the hall opened and a dark haired woman peered out. "Jill?"

"Kat, your awake," Jill answered.

"Well, I heard your voices just now, but, do you hear that humming?"

Jill and Sylia cautiously walked towards Katsumi, but all three women now stared towards the light brimming underneath the doorway there. They joined together, curiosity pulling them to the source. Finally at the doorway, Sylia reached for the handle…

… just as the light and sound died down, the door handle turned and a young man's face appeared through the opening. A startled look flashed across his face before a smile replaced his surprise. "Oh, Sylia, Jill, Katsumi, your awake now."

"M… Mackey??" Sylia replied to the 'man' who looked much more mature and much taller than she expected him to be. In fact, all three women stared at Mackey's face so hard that he quickly grew worried.

He placed a hand to his face, pressing against the skin there just to be safe. "Is something wrong?"

The three women blinked hard in response. Sylia's mouth hung open. Katsumi just shook her head.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that," Jill answered with a sly smile.

Curious, he slid out of the opening, quietly closing the door behind him. He passed the three women and stopped at a mirror in the hallway, peering at his reflection. "Ah, now I understand."

Sylia walked behind him, staring at their collective reflections together in disbelief. "You…. You are alive!" She reached her arms around his sides and grabbed him into a strong hug, burying her head into his back. She could feel the heat radiating there, his thin shirt wet from perspiration. He felt as human as she could ever recall. "But, what happened? I thought… Aoede… she said she would show how alike you were."

Mackey placed one of his hands over Sylia's and gave it a squeeze. "It is hard to explain."

Sounds of more footsteps drew the attention of all four people in the hallway towards the stairs. "Mistress Jill, Katsumi? You are awake now?"

"Henderson," Jill replied. "Yes, all three of us heard Mackey."

"Master Mackey?" Henderson queried, reaching the top of the stairs with a tall glass of liquid on a tray. "Ah, there you are," he said, spying him just in front of the hallway mirror. "Here is the water you requested. And I'm sorry I don't have anything for you ladies at the moment but I will be very happy to fetch you some refreshments if you wish."

"I could use some water myself," Jill replied.

"Me too," Katsumi echoed.

The butler nodded to them both, then faced Sylia who still clung tightly to Mackey. "Mistress?"

"Yes, thank you Meiso," Sylia nodded to him, then rested her head again on her 'brother's' back.

Henderson handed the lone drink to Mackey and quickly bowed and took his leave back down the candlelit stairs. "I shall return shortly."

Mackey quickly downed the contents of the glass even as Sylia continued to hold him tightly. But as soon as he lowered the glass, a low humming sound grew in the hallway. All three women glanced up and stared at Mackey… who's outline began to illuminate the darkened hallway with a faint orange glow.

Sylia panicked, immediately releasing the boomer and backed into the wall. "Mackey! What's happening!?"

He turned around and faced her, raising his hands before his own face. His eyes flashed in multicolored hues. "She's calling me," he smiled at her.

"The sotai!?" Sylia exclaimed.

"Aoede??" Jill assumed.

Mackey shook his head and turned towards the door at the end of the hallway. The three women all shifted their eyes in that direction… the direction of another orange glow from beneath the closed door. It didn't stay closed for long.

The handle clicked and the hallway was almost immediately flooded with a blinding flash of energy. The three humans were forced to momentarily cover their eyes until the glow began to dim. Katsumi was the first to identify the source of the new light.

"Nene!?"

The young girl smiled and nodded at her friend as she silently walked past both her and Jill. Dressed in a long light blue nightgown, she walked directly up to Mackey, stood on the tips of her toes reached up and pulled him into a very heated, passionate kiss.

Sylia stared at the two young lovers, then had to avert her gaze, blushing heavily as they tightly embraced for an extended period of time. However, questions remained in her mind. And as she wondered what had happened to Nene when she leapt into the fireball engulfing Mackey, she glanced back at the young girl in her brother's arms. Only then did she begin to notice the little details present there… the not so human details that sent even more questions raging through her head. "Nene, what happened to you?"

Sylia's voice finally caused the couple to break off their kiss as Nene glanced over to her. She paused, then smiled at Mackey.

He smiled back and then began to answer Sylia's question. "I suppose its easier to start with your other question first. When I was created, it was thought that a mistake was made. The mistake was that I was too human. However, even though I couldn't exhibit the same properties of the phenomenon as Galatea, and couldn't influence other boomers as she could, I still retained some of those characteristics in my own DNA. And Aoede awakened those abilities yesterday. However, the reaction that occurred in my body ran out of control. I couldn't find the key to stop it, at least not by myself," he smiled at Nene once again.

"When she leapt into the energy that was consuming me, all I wanted to do was protect her. It was her act that showed me the path to find the willpower to suppress and even control the phenomenon. But in doing so, the energy destroyed much of her body."

"Destroyed?" Sylia gasped.

Nene nodded her affirmation. "But when I thought I was dying, I heard Mackey's voice. And I vowed to fight to live."

"And I could feel that will within you Nene," Mackey responded, grasping one of Nene's hands and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"But… but what did you do to her? She… she doesn't look…" Sylia could barely say the words even as her eyes transmitted the answer to her confused mind.

Mackey released Nene and turned towards Sylia, raising one hand to cup her cheek. "One of the facets of the phenomenon is the ability to not only communicate with metals, but also with biological matter."

The warmth of his hand stilled Sylia's fears. However, when his hand slid down to her arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze, she began to understand. "You… you healed my arm?"

He smiled at Sylia, then glanced towards Jill and Katsumi. And I was able to heal their injuries as well. However, Nene's…" he began, before returning to embrace the young blond girl. "… Nene's were too severe. Her DNA was damaged beyond repair on most of her skin and some internal organs as well. Fortunately, her vital functions were protected. But, there wasn't a way to repair the biological damage done… at least, not in a traditional sense. I needed to find a way to fuse her intact organs with something that could replicate the functions that still needed to be performed."

"And it had to be something that my body wouldn't reject," Nene interjected.

"So he used parts of a hardsuit?" Jill guessed.

Mackey smiled as he shook his head. "That would have been easier, but Nene's hardsuit was lost. But I did have some similar parts available thanks to Sylia."

Sylia's confusion only grew stronger at the statement. "Similar parts? But how…?"

"Shaping the parts was easy. However, having them accepted by Nene's body, that was more difficult," he continued. "So, I injected them with anti-seed intertwined with healthy DNA from Nene's body."

"Injected??" Sylia exclaimed.

"Anti-what?" Katsumi added.

Mackey bowed his head as he spoke non-apologetically. "It was a process my consciousness absorbed while merged with the Sotai."

"And it was a process that saved my life," Nene spoke calmly, but with resolve backing her voice.

The other three women stood silently for a few moments, absorbing the truth while Nene and Mackey continued to hold each other tightly.

"Well, if Nene is okay with it…" Katsumi finally spoke up, striding over and hugging both of them together.

Nene reached out with one arm and returned the embrace with her friend, even as she still held onto Mackey with the other. "Thank you Katsumi."

"Hell, we're the ones that should be thanking you," Jill corrected joining the group hug. "If you hadn't jumped in when you did Nene, we would all probably be dead right now."

Mackey glanced into Nene's eyes and nodded. "She is right," he spoke, before turning expectantly over to Sylia.

But the other woman stood at arms length from the rest of them. She gripped her torso protectively. "But, I can't believe you've been infected. The phenomenon, in both of you…" Her voice began to shake, her eyes lowered down at her own feet.

Then Mackey's feet appeared before hers, and she immediately looked up into his eyes. "You don't have to fear me. I am still the same Mackey I was before… except maybe a little taller now," he chuckled with a deeper voice than before. "Because of my closeness to the human nature, I have kept my individuality."

"And he has kept his love," Nene announced, hugging the back of Mackey, her arms encircling the front of his chest.

Sylia continued to stare at the two of them, and just how close they now were. And, in the end, that was the best elixir to calm her fears… for now. "I trust you Mackey," she said, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

Mackey smiled back even as he held onto Nene's arms with his hands.

However, Sylia still wasn't smiling back. "But even if I can trust you, I still don't trust Galatea," Sylia said.

Mackey's smile disappeared behind a concerned gaze. "Even though she is Aoede now, I have my concerns as well," he admitted. Thought filled silence filled the hallway for a few moments. It wasn't long before footsteps on the stairwell drew their attention away from their troubled introspection.

"Mistress Nene! It is a miracle!" Henderson announced from the stairs. "However, oh dear, I'm afraid I still do not have enough water for everyone."

"Oh she can have mine! I'll go get some more for myself Henderson," Katsumi exclaimed.

The other women giggled as Katsumi headed down the dimly lit stairs. Meanwhile, refreshments were passed out and quickly consumed by the rest of the recovering group in Switzerland.

* * *

"What'ya have, lady?" the bartender screamed out over the music blaring from the Hot Legs speakers.

"Um, just water please," Linna replied.

"Yeah, whatever," the not-so-pleased man replied.

Linna wasn't paying attention to him though as she was distracted with her search. Sure enough, Priss' bike was parked in the back alley… just like it used to be. However, she couldn't get access to the back stage area through the back door and was forced to wait out with the crowd. But, even here she didn't want to just assume that Priss would show up on stage. Consequently, she continued to scan the mingling crowd for a glimpse of her in case she came out before the show started.

"Here," a voice from behind Linna caught her attention. She nearly knocked over the glass of water waiting for her as she spun around, facing the bartender.

"Oh, thank you," she apologized. "Hey, do you know what time the show is starting?"

The man shook his head. "Don't know."

"Is Priss the only act?" she queried further.

"Priss?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.

Linna's nerves were rattled now. "As Sekiria?" she asked nervously.

"No, sorry," the bartender said with finality, sliding down the bar to another waiting patron.

Linna turned back towards the stage and then began to look the crowd and the on stage equipment over more closely. However, nothing jumped out at her to signal that this was the right place and the right time. None of it looked familiar to her in the least. But that was the bike she had bought for Priss' outside, wasn't it? She quickly downed the water, momentarily wishing it was something stronger to help calm her nerves. Linna took a deep breath and dove through the crowd, towards the inside entrance to the backstage area. She was halfway through the masses when the house music stopped and the lights dimmed in the club, freezing the country girl in her tracks.

The lights above the stage pulsed, then flared outward, shining their red-hot streaks down upon the people in the club, blinding Linna and everyone else in the process. A few moments later, the speakers came to life once more. A heavy guitar riff kicked up followed closely by a slick paced drumbeat. The guitar screamed and more lights above the stage blasted to life, this time shining directly down on the band now in place.

Linna's heart skipped two beats as her eyes scanned for Priss. However, she didn't find her. In fact, there wasn't a singer on stage at all, just three men playing instruments… three strangers she realized, not As Sekiria. But in the same instant Linna discovered the singer missing, vocals resonated over the speakers… vocals that sounded very much like Priss. And in the corner of her eye she caught glimpse of a female form walking on stage, microphone in hand, crying out the lyrics to the fans waiting below…

_Your tanned skin, your hidden earring, a sweet trap in your eyes  
My heart glows in the bright lights of the night, and I begin to feel destiny_

But the destiny that Linna saw wasn't Priss singing to her… it was another woman, a blond dressed in tight fitting red leathers. And while disappointed, there was something about the woman, and her voice, that held her in place… unable to turn her back to go out and look for Priss as she wanted, unable to turn her back on this stranger, unable to look away for a moment or to even just blink an eye…

_I want to imprint you in my heart like a tattoo that will never fade  
With unexpected resolve, with tenderness  
I want you to entrance me with your fingers, with your lips_

The singer held out one hand to the crowd and pointed with one finger to them. Linna felt her face flush, her heart pounding, pulse racing. The reason was simple… the woman on stage seemed to be pointing directly at her…

_We melted into the illusions of the summer night, swimming through dreams  
In the heat of the night, even if the glass moon  
Illuminates my loneliness, don't let it break the spell of the night breeze_

The singer's eyes flashed multicolored hues just as Linna felt a hot wind blow across her entire body. A chill ran down her spine even as a bead of sweat trickled off her cheek. A tingling sensation in the back of her neck began to grow. And somewhere in the recesses of Linna's clouded conscious, a voice was screaming at her to run. However, her feet wouldn't budge, not one single inch…

_Held back gently by a single sheet of paper, I'm on the verge of giving you the key to my heart  
If you believe in this intangible love  
Then seize this sure time, more passionately, more fiercely than anyone else_

The stranger on stage continued to belt out the words even as she continued to stare directly into the center of the crowd… and Linna was absolutely sure she was staring directly at her. She was so entranced by the singer, by the music that she didn't notice the parting crowds in front of her. Nor did she notice the people around her stop their cheering, then turn their emblazoned green eyes directly at her… at least, not until two of them seized Linna's arms to hold her in place.

_In the illusions of the summer night, we've found eternity in a gap in time  
In the heat of the night, tell me you'll never leave me  
As you pour pieces of miracles on me in the night_

Linna struggled to free her arms for only a moment… the moment she took her eyes off the stage and realized that everyone else in Hot Legs were staring into her with those horrid greenish, pulsing eyes. Linna closed her eyes tightly, screaming at herself "Wake up, Wake up, Wake up!!"

But a feathery soft brush against her cheek caused her to lose focus and her eyes to open once more. There, standing just at arms length was the singer, her hand held out to touch Linna's face. Her long blond hair, her mysterious deep crimson eyes, her smiling cherry red lips, creamy white skin… every inch of detail burned itself into the back of Linna's mind. And there, deep in her memory, the answer began to reveal itself. An image of Priss superimposed with an image of Galatea a mere instant before the singer's crimson eyes flashed from brown to blue to orange to green and several colors in-between.

Linna felt the pressure release from her arms even as the singer stepped even closer to her, caressing the back of Linna's neck with her outstretched arm. The country girl's knees grew weaker, the tingling sensation from the singer's touch pulsed throughout her spine. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire. And try as she might, she couldn't will her body to turn and run away. The most she could manage was to back away from the red leather clad woman.

But the singer kept pace with Linna matching her step for step... until the human's back literally hit the wall behind her. The singer then smiled and continued to sing, her voice carrying throughout the club even without the aid of a microphone…

_We melted into the illusions of the summer night, swimming through dreams_

_In the illusions of the summer night, we've found eternity in a gap in time  
In the heat of the night, tell me you'll never leave me  
As you pour pieces of miracles on me in the night_

It wasn't until she stopped singing that Linna discovered that the band wasn't even playing along anymore. Her eyes momentarily flashed to an empty stage. And upon that realization, Linna discovered that she could easily see the stage from the back of the club… because no one else was in Hot Legs any longer. A voice startled Linna back to the woman pinning her to the wall.

"I thought we could use some alone time," the singer smiled at her, 'explaining' the situation.

Linna's body tensed even further as her arms and torso began to tremble. "F… for what?" she stammered.

The singer licked her crimson lips invitingly. "Come now, don't tell me you've forgotten about our 'first date' already."

Even if she was starting to put the pieces together, Linna was still much too confused to understand this stranger that she had never met before. "What?"

"Lets see if this helps refresh your memory a little," the singer remarked before cupping the back of Linna's neck with one hand, reaching up and touching Linna's chin with her other to tilt her head up ever so slightly… and then diving into Linna's lips with her own crimson ones.

The electrical jolt that shot through her body caused Linna's eyes to fly open in shock. Her blood boiled over and her heart nearly exploded from her chest as it raced faster than she could ever remember. And at that moment, the prickly sensation that had been growing in the back of her neck flashed over as shards of emotion tore into her soul, unleashing a torrent of vivid images… memories of the past resurrected from their burial places deep in the crevices of her regrets and heartaches.

One of those images became a crystal clear for the country girl… an image of her past self, intoxicated and heartbroken, in a darkened store consuming even more copious amounts of alcohol. Then, at the front of that store appeared Galatea herself… not that Linna had been in any condition to realize that at the time. And in her memory, she followed herself up to Galatea, grabbing onto the boomer goddess and pulling her into a very uninhibited kiss.

In her memory, Linna could feel the moist contact even better than her previously numbed state had allowed. And as her memory began to restore itself upon her past, the present came into a very clear and unmistakable focus. "Galatea!"

The panicked spoken word broke the kiss as the blond took half a step back. "No, not exactly," she smiled at Linna. "My name is Aoede."

"… aoede…" Linna whispered the name that she recognized but never guessed the true identity of. She scanned her memory for additional clues, something that would help explain the situation, but the reality was she had been so preoccupied with taking care of Priss for the last few months that nothing else in the world mattered to her… not even a singer who had taken the world by storm in just a few short months. That much she knew. However, that left several disturbing questions lingering in her head. "Where's Priss? Why do you have her bike? What did you do with her??"

"Priss?" Aoede smirked at the rapid-fire questions. "We just had a small talk."

"Where is she??"

"Around."

Linna opened up her mouth to fire off another question when the boomer goddess raised one finger to her lips, stopping it in her throat.

"I have a feeling you will be seeing Priss sooner rather than later. But for now, I wanted to give you this little thanks," she accentuated by sweeping her arm around the empty club.

"Thanks? You… you sent me that text message??"

Aoede's lips curved upwards again. "You catch on quick Linna-chan," she punctuated by raising one hand to brush her cheek again, except that this time Linna moved her head to the side and pushed Aoede's arm away with her own hand.

"Don't touch me again!"

Linna's harsh tone appeared to strike a nerve in the blond as her eyes flashed several different shades of color. "And if I do??" she threatened, slamming both hands hard against the wall on either side of her head, then taking the dare one step further by leaning her body roughly against Linna's, physically pinning her against the wall.

The very human response to her outburst stunned Linna even more than the smack of Aoede's palms against the wall or even the contact their bodies now made. The reason was the response was exactly the emotional fire that burned behind another pair of eyes… the eyes of Priss. That reminder plus her own core beliefs were enough for Linna to find a bit of compassion for Aoede. However, that hint of compassion was short lived. She raised her arms and roughly pushed Aoede off of her as her other instinct finally kicked in… the instinct to fight back when challenged. "Get off of me!"

Aoede stumbled, but was quick enough to only take two steps back before regaining her balance. Standing upright again, a grin spread across her lips. "Well, if that's the way you want it…"

"That's enough," a voice boomed over the speakers of the club, startling the two combatants. Another figure appeared onstage, dressed in jeans and a black leather jacket. And if she hadn't already recognized the voice, the clothes, mannerisms and tone would have given it away for Linna.

"PRISS!!" She took a glance at the strangely disarmed Aoede and then ran past her and right up to the stage, where Priss was just hopping down to the floor. The singer's feet had just touched the ground when Linna barreled into her, knocking them both roughly against the stage. However, Linna didn't care. She just gripped her love into a bear hug, mentally vowing to never let her go again. And when Priss returned the embrace, Linna finally felt calm enough to start talking. "Your okay? I was so worried! But, what happened?" Linna nervously glanced back around to the other singer standing at the back of the club, not sure if they should run, try to fight, or prepare for the worst.

"I'll explain later. First, its time to hold up your end of the deal," Priss spoke a little too calmly.

Linna was momentarily confused, thinking that Priss was still talking to her. But when Aoede seemed to nod in response and walk towards them, a fresh set of questions raged in her head. "Deal? What deal??" She turned to Priss, her violet eyes begging for answers.

Priss smiled softly towards her. "You'll see."

But Linna wasn't so sure. Images of rogue boomers, metal structures, even their hardsuits answering the beckoning call of Galatea was all that she could see as the being named Aoede strode confidently up to them. And if Linna wasn't in Priss' arms, she would have bolted in that very instant. However, in the next instant, it was too late.

Aoede reached out and slammed her palm hard against Linna's chest. The air exploded from the former track star's lungs and stars filled her vision. She lost her grip on Priss and felt as if she was falling… until Aoede gripped the front of her shirt and held her upright with it. Panicked, her thoughts were of Priss, and even as her vision began to black out, she was able to see enough to realize that Aoede was doing the same thing to Priss.

A tingling sensation coated her body, and then coalesced in the back of her mind. She felt her consciousness pulled into the growing pool of emotion beginning to swell there. And as her mind was sucked into the channel, it was suddenly thrust into a bright light of orange and yellow hues surrounding a field of fibers. Her feet virtually rested on the fibers, their sensitivity and gentleness tickled her toes. A calm sense of reassurance enveloped her soul and she felt at peace, almost as if a missing part of her soul had been returned.

"It has."

She found the source of the sound standing next to her, naked in the heavenly field. "Priss? But, where are we?"

A smile full of emotion and joy spread across Priss' face. She tapped the side of her head in a manner that very much reminded Linna of the gesture that had saved her life from that first boomer attack as well as led her to the Knight Sabers. "Aoede and I had… a talk. I got my point across," she emphasized by rubbing her balled up fist with her other hand. "But she also made her point. And, she wanted to try and make amends for the things that Galatea had done."

"Amends? But," Linna looked around the place, raising her hands to her face, flexing her fingers and marveling in the raw sensations pulsing at her fingertips. "Are you saying that she's… she restored the link between us? And you, how do you feel?"

Priss' smile grew even further. "Better than I have in a long, long time." Priss then took one of Linna's hands and held open the palm, bringing it to her lips. She placed a soft kiss there, sending waves of pleasure rippling through Linna's arm. Priss then lowered the palm and placed it directly over her own heart.

Linna felt the warmth of Priss' heart transmit down her arm and spread throughout her own body. Staring into Priss' eyes, she could see the tide of emotions swelling within her, and she felt that her love had finally after so many long, agonizing months been returned to her. She couldn't wait another second. With one hand still pressed firmly in place, she reached for one of Priss' hands with her free one. She intertwined her fingers with the singer's and pulled their bodies together. Skin contacted skin with feathery soft touches, but that wasn't enough for Linna. Not nearly enough. She lifted her head into Priss' neck, gently nuzzling the soft nape there before nudging higher and finding a pair of lips waiting for her. They kissed, first a light caress, then more feverishly, relishing in their reawakened love.

After what seemed like an eternity, they broke the kiss and just held each other tightly. "If this isn't real, I don't ever want to wake up," Linna joked, giving Priss' hand a squeeze.

"You never know. It might get better when you wake up," Priss parried, squeezing Linna's hand in return, her breath blowing suggestively across Linna's ear in the process.

The country girl softly moaned, nibbling on Priss' neck in response to the stimulus. "I'm finding that hard to believe Ms. Asagiri."

Now it was Priss' turn to let out a gentile growl, nibbling on Linna's ear in turn.

Linna's breath grew shallow, rapid. She let Priss lead, reveling in the attention she was receiving. But the sensations awakened other thoughts, other memories deep within Linna. And in those memories questions formed in the front of her consciousness. "Priss, what was the deal you made with Aoede?"

The singer paused her other activities to consider the question, leaning back while still holding Linna's hand in her own. "She promised to restore the link between us and repair, well, my head if… well, if she could personally thank you for her existence."

"Thank me?"

"She just wanted to sing… or at least that's what she said. I didn't know it would go that far."

"Just sing, eh?" she smiled lightly, hiding other doubts beginning to creep into her thoughts.

"And to get 'us' back again," Priss smiled at her innocently.

"But how did you accept the deal anyway? What made you trust her?" Linna questioned further.

"Yeah, that," Priss laughed, blushing. "She was angry, resentful. Almost depressed."

Linna just stared at Priss in disbelief. "Strange."

"Didn't make sense to me either. But, it just made me angry in return. I started to fight her, and I was winning. At least I was until she started to bring some boomers back to life."

"Unbelievable," Linna remarked flatly.

"Well, it's the same thing I would have done in her place. It actually settled me down. I challenged her to a one-on-one fight, winner take all. I knew she would agree. When she did, we fought for an hour until neither of us could keep going. And even though she could have used the phenomenon to crush me, she never did."

"So that's how you knew you could trust her, eh?"

Priss nodded. "So we made a deal. She would undo what Galatea had done. When she said that, I asked about you… about us."

That comment made Linna blush hard, hard at the thought of Priss fighting for her in the shape she had been in. "But when did you realize that Aoede… that she was, well…created from you?"

"As soon as I saw her, actually a little before. Remember how Sylia was affected by Galatea?"

"Yeah."

"When Aoede was coming to Tokyo, I could feel something. I wasn't exactly sure since it didn't feel like Galatea. It was something more… personal. Almost maternal. But when she first saw me outside the trailer, that's when I knew for sure what had happened."

Linna wasn't exactly convinced. In their linked state, she took a step back from Priss, letting go of the other woman's hand, shaking her head. "Maternal? That… that doesn't sound like the Priss that I know."

"Linna, what are you talking about?" Priss took a step forward, reaching out her hand again.

But Linna stepped back again, cautious. "So you are sure that we can trust her? Galatea, she destroyed Tokyo. She nearly killed all of us! She used us, raped us! And now, to find out that her bastard child is here, back in Tokyo…"

"Linna, I know!" Priss started, obviously trying to calm the other woman. "But there is something different about Aoede…"

"And she just kissed me like Galatea did! And she talked about our 'first date'!" Linna nearly screamed, before bowing her head, her voice dropping low in a very accusatory voice. "And then you just showed up…"

The hues of the fibers below their feet faded into a rusty brown shadow, the golden sky darkened and the bright light dissolved under the weight of Linna's accusations. "Linna!" Priss tried to hold onto Linna's arms to calm her, however she shrugged off Priss' touch as her rant continued.

"The Priss I know wouldn't ignore all of that like it never happened. The Priss I know wouldn't let herself be fooled by another sotai, not after everything that happened to us." And just like that, the façade evaporated leaving Linna staring at 'Priss', who was in turn staring at her back in the Hot Legs club.

Priss' eyes widened, shocked. "Linna, its me!"

But the country girl wasn't listening. She turned to the being calling herself Aoede, fire brimming in her eyes. "What the hell are you trying to do to me this time!? Why do you want to torture me like this!?" But a hand touched her shoulder and a calm sense of understanding swept through reawakened parts of her mind, causing her doubts and fears to momentarily subside. Tears welled in the corner of her eye even as she tried to look over at Priss.

"Linna, this is real. I know you're confused, but trust me, this is really happening."

Her vision of Priss watered over, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "I… I want to believe…" she started, before her eyes darted back to Aoede who was watching them both from just arms length away, her face stoic, focused. "… but… I can't… I just can't trust her."

"Linna…" Priss started before a loud groan filled the club. They all tensed up, heads flashing around Hot Legs until Priss spotted the source of the disturbance off to the side of the backstage area. "Leon??"

"Leon?" Priss' confused tone startled Linna and her concerned eyes threw even more doubts in her mind as she saw the man stumble from behind the curtains and collapse onto the stage.

Leon fell over into a heap, both hands holding his stomach as his body doubled over, a small pool of blood growing underneath his body. Out of his back protruded a crimson colored spike… a spike that appeared ominously familiar to the other inhabitants of the club.

"What the hell??" Priss was reaching up to pull herself onto the stage when Aoede grabbed both her and Linna by the shoulders, pulling them together.

"…someone's here… " she whispered to them.

"H… hardsuits…" Leon groaned just before the lights and power suddenly cut off.

And from the shadows, just as Leon had warned, multiple hardsuits appeared in several corners of the Hot Legs club, surrounding the area, prepared to strike…

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: Second time I've used a Nanase Aikawa (Heat of the Night-Paradox) song in the fic. But the words don't do the song justice. Check out the video to see what I mean:

(Since copying the link from youtube isn't working, just search "Nanase Aikawa Heat of the Night" in Youtube. It'll be one of the first ones to pop up, trust me -)


	25. Ch 24: If You Only Knew

Preface: It's been almost a month since my last post, but this chapter took a while to put together the way I wanted. However, considering that I've been averaging about a chapter a year for the last three years, three chapters in two months is a marked improvement. Now, onto what was originally intended to be the last chapter of this fic.

* * *

Another Fortunate Accident

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 24 – "If You Only Knew"

* * *

Multiple hardsuits appeared in several corners of the Hot Legs club, surrounding Priss, Linna and Aoede, prepared to strike. The three females took a defensive posture with their backs to each other.

"Is it Sylia??" Linna guessed, trying to make sense of the situation.

Priss glanced worriedly over at Leon. "I don't think so," before catching a glimpse of Aoede out of the other corner of her eyes. "Can't you tell?"

"No, I can't," she said, her voice inflecting with stress.

"Why not? Aren't they just boomers?" Linna fired out angrily.

"Yes, but they aren't responding to me."

"Heh, guess Priss was right. Your nothing like Galatea," she replied bitterly.

"What's that supposed to mean!" the blond fired back, distracted.

"Galatea would have already stopped those hardsuits without even trying," she chided sarcastically.

"Linna, now's not the time," Priss warned just as two of the hardsuits seemed to motion to each other, their helmets nodding. A moment later, flashes of rear-mounted thrusters outlined their sleek shapes as they both rocketed directly for the three females just below the stage area.

Linna dove away from the stage avoiding their strike. Priss leapt onto the stage and rolled over to Leon. However, the two hardsuits didn't appear to be interested in the two humans at the moment. Instead they bore down on the inhuman being that had her back towards them. But just as they reached the blond female, she neatly ducked below their strikes and leapt with inhuman strength away from the hardsuits and towards one of the exits.

The plain grey colors of the hardsuits blurred past Linna as the two initial attackers gave chase after Aoede. A moment later, two other hardsuits joined the fray apparently focusing their collective energies on the boomer goddess. Linna sighed, a small sense of relief coming over her at the realization that neither her nor Priss appeared to be their targets. However, she tried to peer over the top of the stage to see what had happened to Priss. Unable to see her, she instead focused on the newly restored mental link. "_Priss, are you okay?"_ A sense of nervous panic answered her call.

_"I'm fine, but Leon needs help now!"_

Priss' worried thoughts drew Linna upright enough to see over the top of the stage and off to the side. There, she was just able to make out the forms of Leon lying on his side with his head resting in Priss' lap. She noted the sounds of hardsuits' thrusters fading into the background noise, the battle apparently moving away from them. Taking one more quick glance around the darkened club just to be safe, she leapt onto the stage and over to Priss and Leon. Her feet made a splashing noise just as she reached them causing her to look down into a growing puddle of blood below Leon. "Oh God!"

"It's bad," Priss added surly, examining the metal spike protruding from his back.

Leon moaned , his eyes fluttering shut.

"Leon! Leon!" Priss cried. "Dammit, hang on. Linna, we've got to get him out of here. Help me lift him up."

"Lift him? Where are we going to bring him?"

"I don't know what's reopened, but we have to find a hospital somewhere."

"But even if we get him up, we can't just throw him on the back of a bike in his state!" Linna argued.

"And if we stay here those hardsuits could be back any moment and finish him off, and us too," she reasoned darkly, quickly getting on her knees and lifting one of Leon's arms up over her shoulder then eyeing Linna expectantly.

Linna frowned, but helped to get Leon upright and put his other arm over his shoulder. Together they started to drag the big man out towards the back stage area. Quickly they made their way past the darkened dressing rooms. However, they were able to see the lights of the back alleyway underneath the door to the rear entrance. It was then that Linna decided that she wasn't done arguing just yet. "What makes you so sure they are after us anyway? Maybe they were startled by him and…"

Just short of the door, the light underneath from the alley flickered and faded, stopping both women in their tracks. They listened intently for signs of something on the other side of the door. They didn't have to wait long for confirmation.

The door exploded inward, throwing all three humans to the ground. Before them stood a grey hardsuit its unmistakable outline illuminated by the lone streetlight. And as if to answer Linna's question, its arm rose up and pointed in their direction. The two women had a very good guess at why because of the twin openings at the end of the arm… much like Nene's rail spike armed hardsuit.

_"Linna, make a run for it. I'll hold them off for as long as I can."_

Priss' order across the mental link stunned Linna and she immediately protested in return. "_No way in hell. I'm not leaving your side again!"_

A soft-spoken chuckle broke the tense silence. "_You are just too damn stubborn for your own good."_

_"Like you didn't already know that,"_ she smiled inwardly.

_"Fine then, on my count we run right at her. Hopefully one of us can make it to our bikes and then get help."_

_Okay _Linna answered, though she wasn't. Fighting a boomer without a hardsuit was one thing she quickly realized. But fighting against a human essentially piloting a boomer was quite another. And her instincts proved very accurate just a moment later.

_"One, two…"_

A mental scream of pain coupled with an audible one froze Linna in place before she could even twitch. Her head spun around to the source of the scream and was aghast to find one of the thin rails from the hardsuit through Priss' forearm, pinning her to the ground. She struggled to try and pull the tapered spike either from her arm or the ground before a sharp voice halted her efforts.

"Don't move."

Linna and Priss both raised their heads to the accented Japanese coming from the hardsuit. Its weapon was still aimed in their direction, but it appeared to waver. Priss grimaced through the pain but also through a realization.

_"She's deciding which one of us to kill first. You need to run now Linna. It's your last chance."_

Linna's eyes widened in shock as she saw the same thing Priss did… the fact that the hardsuit's arm was alternating between Priss' head and her own. She didn't want to think about exactly what that meant, but… "_I'm not leaving you here Priss, no matter what!"_

Suddenly the hardsuit's arm stopped as it pointed directly between Linna's eyes… causing her own heart to skip a few beats, staring certain death in the face with no way to stop it. But fate was on her side this time…

A shriek of thrusters distracted the grey hardsuit as its helmet turned back to the alley.

_"Linna, down!"_ Priss screamed verbally just as an explosion destroyed the remains of the doorway, part of the hallway and most likely the hardsuit too…

At least that's what Linna hoped when she tried to spot the hardsuit through the thick smoke. When it began to clear, her hopes were dashed by the outline of the hardsuit still standing upright and facing their direction. It began to advance out of the clearing smoke, sending Linna scrambling over to Priss, frantically pulling on the now bloody spike thrust through her forearm. But Priss wasn't helping. "Priss, hurry up and pull damnit!"

"It's okay Linna. Can you take care of this?" she calmly spoke through the pain to the hardsuit behind Linna.

"Wha??" She spun around and found a sleek, black hardsuit with thin red trim standing before them, not the standard grey one she had assumed was there. And when its visor opened revealing deep crimson eyes framed in strands of long blond hair, she immediately understood. "… you…"

Aoede smiled at them as she turned her hands in their direction, opening her palms and dropping two small, round objects to the ground. They clinked on the hard surface and rolled towards Priss and Linna.

Linna eyes followed one of them as it seemed to be guided towards her feet. She nervously stole a glance at Priss who strangely didn't seem the least bit worried by them. "_Priss??"_

_"Don't worry. They are just hardsuits."_

_"Hardsuits??" _She stared at the marble-like object as it drew to her in a magnetic fashion. She tensed reflexively as it stopped just inches from her.

The marble wobbled, liquefied, then exploded with strands of green and orange all around her body. Linna barely had time to scream before they had completely covered her whole body, wrapping it up tightly. A momentary wave of claustrophobic panic crashed over the top of her until familiar sensations rippled up from parts of her subconscious. Those parts spoke into the depths of her soul, beckoning for strength and courage. Thus she flexed her hands and arms and thought calm, strong thoughts… and instantly could see again. Her ever-familiar visor took shape before her eyes, crystallizing and energizing with lights and displays. And with the energy came the fortifying feelings of raw power and unbridled confidence.

The green hardsuit stood tall, raising its armored hands before the visor and flexing them for inspection. But past its hands, the pilot could see the being responsible for this hardsuit's existence. Linna gritted her teeth, her thoughts turning very cautious.

_"Linna, you need to… unhhh… trust her…."_

The orange visor responded to the mental comment and turned towards the blue hardsuit now standing upright, holding its right arm as it glowed an ominous greenish color. "Priss, what's wrong!"

"Nothing, its…"

"The hardsuit is healing the wound," Aoede announced as she strode up to the other two hardsuits.

Linna's subconscious didn't believe the boast, however her eyes and more importantly her heart had other ideas. She could see on the ground at Priss feet the intact spike, obviously extracted from her arm. And, because of their restored mental link, she could actually feel the pain subside from within Priss' mind.

"A nice little touch I added to Sylia's design if I do say so myself," the blond smiled through her opened visor.

But Priss wasn't in the mood to celebrate just yet. "Can you help Leon then?"

"Probably." Aoede knelt down and stretched out two hands to Leon's body, one to his chest and the other just above the other rail spike protruding grotesquely out his abdomen.

The man groaned softly then more loudly as his chest began to glow.

Priss was by his side in an instant, her arm now apparently restored to normal. "Hang on Leon, just a bit longer."

Aoede gripped the spike and slowly extracted it even as Leon's body continued to glow a healing hue. The bloody metal rod was thrown to the side, replaced by the black hardsuit's hand.

Priss lifted his head up even as she carefully inspected his body for signs of improvement. After a few more moments, his eyes cracked open and focused into hers.

"Priss?" He asked, a clouded, confused look crossing his tired and worn face. "What… what are you doing in a hardsuit?"

"You big dummy," she smiled, tears of relief welling up on the corners of her brown eyes.

Instantly, the glow on Leon's body cut off as Aoede sprung upright again. "We're out of time."

The not so distant roar of thrusters answered the unspoken questions.

"How many are left?" Linna asked.

"Three that I know of," the black hardsuit responded, closing its visor and scanning the area carefully.

"One for each of us then," Linna surmised.

Priss had other concerns though. "We've got to get Leon out of her first. He's got no chance without armor."

"And I don't have a hardsuit to fit a guy," Aoede added. "Although if I had more time I could come up with something."

However, time was not on their side as a grey flash streaked by the destroyed opening and launched a projectile in their direction. It exploded just inside the building, fire erupting anew in the enclosed area and blowing out the remains of the walls, igniting further fires.

Debris of Hot Legs began to rain down onto the bottom floor. However, the three hardsuits had already scattered with Priss grabbing Leon and heading back inside the intact portions of the club. "I've got to get him out of here."

"Then I'm coming with you!" Linna exclaimed, following the blue hardsuit to the base of the stairs.

But Priss didn't see things the same way. "That won't work. I can't evade another hardsuit holding onto him. Can you and Aoede hold them here until I can get Leon out of here?"

"What?? You can't be serious!!" she protested loudly.

"Just a minute is all I need."

"No problem Mom. We've got it covered!" a much too excited, almost giddy voice boomed over the shared intercom channel.

Priss growled in response. "I can't believe you just called me _Mom_."

_"I can't believe your leaving me all alone with her!!" _Linna transmitted directly and discretely with Priss. "A_nd on top of that three mysterious hardsuits that want to kill us for some unknown reason. And didn't that thing fix Leon? Can't he take care of himself??" _But as Linna stopped her mental rambling and focused on Priss for just an instant, she felt the reason why Priss was acting as she was, a familiar feeling of compassion… but not directed towards her… it was for Leon. And in that instant, an all too familiar pang of jealousy rang in her heart. However, it quickly dissipated under the weight of two things. One was the months spent with Leon searching for Priss throughout eastern Asia, and the thin but solid bond they had forged together there. The other was the mental response of Priss to her momentary lapse of control.

_"Just hang in there for me. I'll be back before you know it_." Priss transmitted the thoughts and her confidence to Linna through the link.

The tactic appeared to work as Linna felt her nerves calm somewhat. "_You'd better."_

_"I promise."_ Priss thought out as she thrusted through the stairwell to the roof of the club with Leon in tow.

I love you. Linna responded.

_"I know." _Priss sent the message with sincere warmth, reaching the roof and blasting upward as quickly as she could while still holding Leon tightly in front of her. Below her, Priss could see two of the other grey hardsuits from their nearby perches. They crouched low to give chase until a large explosion from the alleyway drew their attention.

"That should distract them long enough!" Aoede announced triumphantly.

"Thanks," Priss said, before a question came to her. "Hey, were you watching for me just now?"

"No, didn't have to. I just knew," she replied calmly, before letting out a battle cry… a precursor to more explosive fireworks below.

Priss just shook her head in amazement. "Scary."

"Who are you talking to… and, what the hell just happened back there," Leon asked, confused.

Priss wasn't even sure where to start. "Never mind, I'll explain later," she dodged the question while picking a tall building and bounding off the roof and high into the night sky once more.

Leon grunted under the forces, but managed to hold himself together while in the blue hardsuit's grip. "Hey Priss," he started sheepishly as another thought crossed his clearing mind.

"Yeah."

"Thanks… again…"

"Again?"

"Yeah. I just realized… the last two times I've come to Hot Legs to see you, you've had to bail me out of some pretty tight spots with your hardsuit."

"Huh, what are you…" and then it dawned on Priss. She remembered nearly a year ago, singing at the club with Sekiria only to have a rogue boomer show up and start to blow the place to hell. "… now I remember."

"Yeah, that rogue boomer seemed to target me for some crazy reason that I never did figure out," Leon recalled painfully.

The instant she heard his words, something within her mind clicked into place. "It wasn't crazy. It was planned."

"What did you just say?"

"I… I know now. It was programmed to attack you, but not kill you. It was… it was programmed to fight me… in my hardsuit…."

"What?? Priss, how the hell do you know that?"

"I don't know! Maybe, because of some kind of connection with the sotai, I… I can see what she knows. Its like I asked the question and was given the answer... all inside my head."

"Sotai? Wait a minute…"

"Yeah, its… that black hardsuit is a sotai… the one that Galatea grew from me. We have a connection like the one that Sylia and Galatea shared."

Leon was fortunate he wasn't holding himself up. "… I just can't believe it… is that why we couldn't find you when we were looking for you? Where… where did they keep you? How did you escape?"

Deep in thought, swimming through images of lab tanks, surgical lasers and more, Priss almost didn't catch the next building screaming into her line of vision and had to brake hard with her thrusters to keep from crashing. "Leon! Not… not now, okay? I'll explain later!" she pleaded, bouncing off that rooftop and zeroing in on another one in the distance as she checked the distance to the battle. A flash of an explosion in her rear sensor confirmed that they weren't far enough just yet.

He didn't speak until they were at the peak of the next jump. "You said that boomer at Hot Legs a year ago was programmed to attack me. Do you know who did that?"

"Brian J. Mason," Priss answered immediately, the answer flashing on the inside of her mind like a computer monitor displaying the output of a query.

"Mason! But wasn't he Genom's right hand man?"

An image of Mason pasted itself inside Priss' mind and instantly several separate connections slammed into place. That distracted Priss enough that she never saw the next rooftop at all. The only thing that saved Leon's life was his own screaming voice.

"Priss, the building!!"

In just the split second that she regained focus, Priss was able to take enough of an evasive maneuver to save Leon from splatting through the roof and two floors into the building, managing to throw his body upward even as her hardsuit crashed hard through the top of the roof. Momentarily weightless, Leon was thrown just far enough to the side to be able to roll off the side of the hole created by the blue hardsuit. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran to the edge of the crater. "Priss? Priss!!" he screamed at the unmoving blue figure at the top of the rubble pile several meters down. After a few moments, it began to stir and moan.

"Unngg… damnit, Leon…" she groaned, picking herself off the crushed metal and concrete pile, flexing her arms and legs to make sure they were still intact. "I told you not now for a reason!"

He blushed, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "Eh, sorry about that. Heh, heh…"

Priss did a quick visual check in her visor on her hardsuit just to be safe. But even as her displays sent back affirmative signals to the health of her hardsuit, something else began to stir in the back of her mind. "Linna? Can you hear me?"

Static answered her call.

Priss leapt from the hole and to the roof. She was just about to straighten her bearings out to see if she could still see the battle off in the distance when Leon pointed the way for her.

"What the hell is that!!"

The same instant Priss tried to turn to see what he was crazily pointing towards, a sharp mental scream pierced the inside of her eardrums… or maybe just her head. Whatever it was, it momentarily brought Priss to her knees, her hands involuntarily gripping the sides of her helmet trying to block out the agonizing pain.

In the next instant the pain subsided enough for Priss to shift her visor around to see something in the distance… something very large and growing larger, stretching upward and outward at the same time. It's sides rippled and bulged, appendages sprouting from all directions. And as Priss' heart sank under the weight of what her visual senses were telling her, the more distressing sensations were the internal ones… sensations of vengeance, fury and unbridled rage.

Her hardsuit thrusters were already catapulting her towards the fight before she could even begin to think about the consequences. She only knew she had to get there and get there fast.

Leon, left again in the blue Knight Saber's wake, could only watch. He felt a painful twinge in his abdomen, momentarily gripping his stomach with one hand. Glancing around, he noticed a lit hospital sign nearby… the rebuilt Kanto Memorial General hospital no less… and decided to get his injuries, however healed they might be, checked out. "Besides, I'd just be in her way anyway," he darkly reasoned with himself. And Leon wasn't exactly in the mood to try and see if the third time would be the charm by going back with Priss to Hot Legs again, especially considering how the last two times had ended for him.

* * *

No sooner had Priss bound skyward with Leon in tow than the enemy hardsuits had tried to take aim on her. However, before Linna could plan on a way to cover for her, Aoede had taken care of the matter all by herself. The sky lit up with covering plumes of explosives launched from the sleek black hardsuit.

"Let's go!" Aoede exclaimed in an almost joyous manner, her black hardsuit crashing out of a window in the upper floors of the club and directly into the afterglow of the explosions.

Linna hesitated though, unsure of just what her role was and how much she really wanted to help this sotai. She watched as the black hardsuit barrel directly at one of the grey suits just picking itself off of the rooftop, catching it off guard as she swung wildly with an extended blade from her right arm.

The grey hardsuit barely dodged the attack, its thrusters firing as it pirouetted away from the strike. The grey suit continued upward, staying on the defensive as the black hardsuit pressed its advantage.

Aoede locked a knucklebomb into place on her left arm, taking a wide swing at the grey suit. "Dammit, hold still!" she screamed in frustration.

But even as Aoede was focused on the one hardsuit, Linna could see what its real objective was. The second grey hardsuit rocketed up from its hiding spot beneath the other two and in a direct path towards the black hardsuit. "Look out behind you!" she reflexively cried, even surprising herself with the strength of emotions behind her words.

The warning was just in time as Aoede flipped over and down, just averting the swinging blade from the sneak attack. The two grey suits then converged and pressed their advantage, driving Aoede down to the roof of a adjacent building and took turns keeping the less experienced but more dangerous foe at bay.

The double-teaming was more that she could stand. Linna felt herself pulled into helping the boomer child despite all her other reservations. Gritting her teeth, she crouched low and readied her mononuclear ribbons for the attack… until the wall next to her exploded into shards of wood, glass and metal. She was thrown into a pile of debris with even more falling on top of her. Momentarily confused, her visor quickly lit up with the details of what had happened, the specs of the third grey hardsuit scrolling into her vision. "Damn," she swore to herself, quickly trying to escape from the trapping debris while trying to track her attacker. She didn't have to wait long to find her.

The remains of the ceiling above Linna disintegrated explosively, replaced by a shrieking grey hardsuit, silver saber drawn and slicing straight down at her helmet.

Without time to think, Linna reacted on instinct alone and attempted to catch the blade in midair with her armored hands. She realized her mistake too late as the sharp blade cut into the metal fingers. But to her amazement the blade's momentum stopped just inches from her visor, the silver metal held between her mostly intact powered fingers shaking and vibrating from the torque still being applied from the grey hardsuit. Linna let out a stressful adrenaline laced laugh then twisted her hands to the left.

The blade snapped cleanly in half forcing the grey hardsuit to stagger backwards from the debris pile and the green hardsuit.

Linna tossed the broken shard to the side and powered herself out of the debris, confidence growing by the second. "Now it's my turn."

The grey hardsuit leveled its left arm at the Knight Saber, rail gun ports opening up to fire on her. However, the green hardsuit didn't go with the plan. In an instant, it charged at the surprised grey suit, weaving and dodging along the few meters that separated the two. In the next instant, the grey hardsuit was grasping at cool air with her fingertips, vainly trying to squeeze the trigger while struggling to track the much faster hardsuit. "What… what happened?" the Chinese agent stammered, images of a thin filament of light flashing just past her field of vision.

Having already disabled both of the other hardsuits arms, Linna wasn't quite done yet. Retracting her mono-ribbons, she planted one foot just behind the grey hardsuit and pivoted with a spin kick directly into the stunned hardsuit's back.

The thunderous blow crunched into the grey hardsuit, metal yielding under the unforgiving stress as Linna's momentum was transformed into an uncontrollable spinning launch of the other hardsuit. The Chinese agent's back slammed into one of the heavily fortified steel and concrete supporting pylons of the building, embedding a human shaped crater at the impact site. The grey helmet, cracked in several places, fragmented and fell to the ground around the motionless hardsuit as it slid down to the base of the pylon.

Linna was in full battle mode now. Already crouched down at the time of impact, she ignited her thrusters and launched herself straight into the prone hardsuit, cocking her arm back, preparing to do what she had done on so many numerous occasions inside of her hardsuit… crush the core of the enemy. She aimed straight for the chest of the hardsuit and threw the punch as hard as she could. But a flicker of burning light from the numerous surrounding fires reflected off the battered armor, momentarily illuminating the face of the human pilot along with the female's black, bloodstained hair strung out on top of the hardsuit's shoulders. Shocked recognition stopped Linna's attack short, her armored fist pounding hard against the top of the hardsuit's chestplate, but not penetrating it as she had originally intended.

"Unnngh," groaned the dazed girl, her head slumping forward, then to the side as her eyes fluttered open briefly.

Linna looked down into glazed eyes, the glazed and very human eyes of her opponent. She swallowed hard, her mind torn between battle hardened instincts and tattered morals which still tugged at her heart. Her armored hand closed around the top edge of the chestplate as she struggled with her decision. However, she noticed that the exposed hands of the female twitched and stirred and the grey hardsuits arms began to lift up from the ground. That was enough to force Linna to act.

Using one foot, she pinned one of the grey arms to the pylon as she pulled with her power augmented might on the top of the chestplate. With several cracks and a pop, the chestplate ripped completely off leaving the front of the now disabled hardsuit exposed, and the softsuited pilot exposed as well. Linna tossed the piece of scrap metal to the side, leaving the groaning and struggling female pilot in her wake as she turned to check on Aoede and the other enemy hardsuits.

Walking to a blown out section of the wall she peered outside, checking both her visual readings and her instrument aided ones for clues. Explosions above took the guesswork out of the equation as her orange visor turned skyward to find the black hardsuit still engaged with two grey ones. The black hardsuit actually appeared to be floating in mid air without the assistance of any thrusters, while the other two hardsuits were perched on nearby tall rooftops. They appeared to be attempting the shoot it down with their rail guns with limited success however as the nimble black suit easily evaded their attacks.

Linna scoped out a path to work behind the distracted grey hardsuits, spying a dark alleyway that would work nicely for her chosen task. Turning to exit discretely out the bottom of the building she was currently inside, she nearly collided with a skeleton of a hardsuit running towards the edge of the building.

Despite no helmet or chestplate, the hardsuit appeared to still have some functioning power to it. But it didn't appear to be interested in Linna as the female pilot leapt out of the hole in the building and ignited the jump thrusters on the heavily damaged back armor. They flickered and faded, but somehow stayed lit long enough for the suit to gain speed and altitude much to Linna's shock.

It didn't take her long to discern the intended target of the damaged hardsuit. "Aoede!" Linna screamed out the name she barely remembered, even as she wondered what the damaged suit could still do. All Linna heard in return was static however, and then she realized she hadn't heard from Priss at all. But it was too late to do anything about the communication channel now.

The damaged grey hardsuit pounced in midair on Aoede's armored back, its arms reaching around and gripping the black hardsuit in a reverse bear hug. The black hardsuit didn't appear panicked though and even somehow kept its elevation with the added weight.

Linna ran back to the edge of the building and readied her thrusters to immediately join the battle until multiple flashes stopped her in her tracks. The other two hardsuits had already launched themselves off the tops of their buildings and were screaming towards Aoede at top speed. But the part that had Linna frozen in place was the fact that they had both fired rockets from shoulder mounts. Those rockets vectored towards Aoede… and their own human teammate. "What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed in futility at the grey hardsuits, her eyes wide with horrified disbelief. Unable to move, unable to warn, even unable to look away, those pale violet eyes tracked the four projectiles as they simultaneously impacted the two floating hardsuits.

The blinding light caused her visor to automatically dim just nanoseconds before the shockwave blew Linna off her feet and back into the wrecked building. More debris rained down on top and even into the sides of her this time. But even in her position several meters inside the building, she could still see the fiery mass of metal plummet downward. A few seconds later, she heard a loud metallic crashing sound, the whole building shaking at the same moment. Dread swept through Linna as the consequences of the vibrations reaching all the way inside her body hit home.

The visor cleared allowing Linna to leap back up, running to see what was left of the black hardsuit. On the way she tripped over something, catching herself just before falling but feeling a nauseous sense of revulsion at the site of part of a burnt bloody human arm at her feet. Backing away from the remains of the grey hardsuit pilot, she reached the edge of the building and turned to find smoke and fire billowing up from a rooftop below where she was standing. There was no sign of the black hardsuit, either visually or with her hardsuit sensors. "Aoede? Priss? Anyone?"

Someone did answer her calls. However, it wasn't whom Linna was hoping for. Through the smoke and flames, two dark shadows appeared from the other side in the forms of outlines of two hardsuits. Both leapt through the smoke, thrusters firing as they bore down on Linna's position in the building.

Linna swallowed hard. Her mind reeled at the realization of dealing with human opponents who had seemingly already conquered the sotai… and were willing to sacrifice their very lives to accomplish their mission. And in the back of her mind, she knew she had to make a choice… to kill or be killed. "If only Priss was here," she whispered to herself.

Just then, at the back of her spine she felt a familiar tingle, her hopes rising in an instant. In the next, however, she realized that something was terribly, horribly wrong.

A piercing scream echoed throughout the building. Or was it inside of her mind? Or both? All Linna knew was that she felt scream over every inch of her body. Sudden recognition forced her to lift her arms up before her visor only to find the very metal of her hardsuit rippling with those sonic waves of terror. She remembered the enemy hardsuits and her eyes flashed upward. There she found the two hardsuits. But they were no longer trying to attack her. They had other problems to deal with, namely, tall, thick, pulsing metallic trunks thrust upward that had trapped them both.

The images of the metal vines replayed themselves in her memory just as Sylia, Nene and herself had fought against Galatea and the dragonline network a year ago. Her eyes followed the metal trunks down to their base. There, a bubbling mass boiled up from the smaller building, the smoldering remains dimming in its center. It flowed and oozed, filling the alleys between buildings and merged, growing in size and expanding exponentially. And much to Linna's horror, the smoke cleared showing the source of what she knew had to be the source of the disturbance. "The sotai!"

A female shape stood with arms stretched skyward, her body glowing in a pulsing, deep blood red tone. And as her arms flexed and moved, so did the twin vines wrapped around the two struggling grey hardsuits. Linna stood unsure of what to do. The hardsuits appeared to be fighting back against the living metal encircling them. As it wrapped around the hardsuits, it appeared to almost whither and fall off from them, as if they had some sort of immunity to the phenomena. Aoede's words reflected in her memory… _"… they aren't responding to me…"_

Linna found herself hoping that was the case. Because as she nervously peered back at the glowing boomer goddess below, she felt her chances of survival were greater against two or more human pilots than one superhuman boomer, especially one that appeared to be going rogue. And as if to further cement her fears, the building around her began to warp and bubble, falling under the sotai's influence as well.

"Dammit!" Linna swore as she leapt away from the compromised building and into the middle of the madness swallowing the rapidly deforming city block. She spun around in midair to find the building liquefying, reshaping, and grotesquely forming a monstrous face in the opening she now realized that she had just narrowly escaped from. But the boomerized building had other ideas.

Two stumps slowly protruded from either side of the hideous face… then instantly exploded into two arms that reached out for her hardsuit. Linna evaded one of the claws by boosting her thrusters and shooting above it. "Oh no," Linna cried as the other arm adjusted, its claw grapping onto Linna's left leg. But the panic was short lived, rational thought led to Linna bending her left knee while engaging her mono-ribbons. She sliced through the unnatural appendage and kicked free. The other arm flew up to take its place and met a similar demise as Linna did a 360 midair spin and cut that one down as well. It was the third metallic appendage that Linna never saw coming.

From another building that was falling under the sotai's influence, a metal vine joined the fray and slammed into the green hardsuit's back. The hard blow knocked the wind out of Linna, sending her spiraling down to the ground. Her hardsuit crashed hard into a deformed rooftop, only meters away from the glowing source of the disturbance.

Linna's vision blurred, her body ached, her breathing came in short, rapid bursts and her chest pounded. And on top of everything else, she could feel the revolt swelling in the back of her mind. "… no… no, I won't let… let it beat me…" she tried to fight back against the phenomena's influence as it tried to wrestle control of the hardsuit from her will. She concentrated on the strength and power that she needed. But she needed more. So she focused on the most strong and powerful ideal in her soul… she focused on an image of Priss.

Instantly she felt the hardsuit respond to her thoughts again. Ignoring the aches and pains of her own body, she willed the hardsuit upright. She caught glimpse of a struggle above her and found the sky full of metal vines wrapping around the two struggling grey hardsuits. Whereas they had been able to fend off a single large appendage before, the tens of hundreds that surrounded them now had them outmaneuvered and trapped. Linna could hear their screams as the vines constricted and squeezed… and then the cracks and snaps as their overmatched armor gave way crushing the blood and life from their doomed bodies.

"No!" If Linna hadn't felt alone before, she certainly did now. Her eyes lasered down and into the glowing female form still standing there, her naked body perfectly still with her arms outstretched to the sky, her hands clenched tightly into fists, mirroring the acts of the vines responding to her will.

Linna's eyes widened, her teeth grinding under the force of her fury. The avenue to act was on her now and in her heart she felt this was her chance, her time, and her purpose. Without another moment's hesitation she launched herself fully at the glowing boomer goddess and reached back with her right arm. Her visor lit up with the location of the core of the boomer illuminating in the chest area. Linna's booster thrusters fired and accelerated her the last meter in a millisecond. She threw the punch into the boomer's core as hard as she possibly could, trying to smash straight through its chest.

At the same moment, Aoede stopped glowing and turned to face Linna with a quizzical look in her eyes. Those crimson eyes followed Linna's fist straight into her own chest…

* * *

Linna awoke to a strange sensation. Her body felt completely numb. She opened her eyes and found the sky dark with light splotches floating by. She tried to turn her head but it wouldn't move. In fact, she couldn't move anything other than her eyes. Panic began to flow through her veins as her eyes darted from side to side. She saw no buildings, no ground, no hardsuits or boomers… only a black sky with white splotches floating past.

"What… what's happening… wh…where am I?" she asked. Somehow even though she couldn't feel her mouth move, her voice still seemed to project in this place… wherever this place was.

Strangely, the sky appeared to shift in response to her questions. The cloud-like splotches stopped, then changed direction and floated in the opposite direction.

"What's going on?!" Linna screamed.

And again, the splotches stopped. This time they held fast to their locations in the sky.

From the tips of her toes and the tips of her fingers, Linna felt sensations returning to her limbs. Her eyes shifted from side to side and down at her exposed toes. Looking down as far as she could, she suddenly realized she was completely naked. "What??" Her mind spun as she tried to remember what had happened. The last thing she could remember was her hardsuit… and trying to attack the sotai. "Did I miss? Did did she stop me? Am… am I dead??"

The last part of the question appeared to wake the clouds again. This time, they flashed bright multihued colors, shrinking down to a pin size for just an instant. Then, all at once, they silently exploded, expanding to cover the entire dark sky in Linna's vision with a bright orange tint. Inside that orange tint Linna saw what appeared to be numbers… millions of microscopic numbers flying past in every direction. And the way the numbers flowed, with an ebb and tide to them struck a chord inside Linna.

"Is it alive?" she asked rhetorically.

An giant face materialized in front of Linna to answer her questions. Or so she thought until the all too familiar face began screaming at her.

A face rimmed with blond hair stared in apparent disbelief at her. "What are you doing here?! You can't be here!!" The face's shining crimson eyes flared in anger, red lips pursed with fury. "Why? Why Linna? Why did you have to attack me??"

Linna's eyes stared at the face of Aoede above her naked body. If she was capable of cowering, she would have certainly done so. However, in her current state, she was incapable of moving at all she found. And as she tried to find her voice to respond to the verbal attack, her emotional desperation increased exponentially as she realized that even that was now gone.

Aoede didn't appear to recognize that small fact, however. "Why? Answer me!! Why did you attack me!?"

Somehow even though most of the rest of her body was numb and frozen, tears welled up in her eyes. They collected there, spilling down the sides of her face. Somehow the wetness and their coldness registered in her senses. They also appeared to register to Aoede as well.

Her eyebrows lifted, eyes softened. The face disappeared before being replaced by her whole body, now equal in scale with Linna's. Aoede's form was covered by a light green sheer robe that appeared to float above her skin, giving her body the aura of a true goddess. Aoede's hand moved to brush the tears away from Linna's face. And as her crimson globes shifted to the side, she spoke much more softly and calmly.

"Now I understand. You didn't realize the consequences of your actions. I… I can see inside your mind and now I see the fear I caused. I should have understood that sooner."

Linna's eyes stared into this form of Aoede and tried to piece together the clues. But even as her mind struggled with the questions, Aoede appeared to understand her predicament and supplied even more answers.

"I was unprepared to fight those other hardsuits. When the missiles destroyed my hardsuit, I let my emotions take control. I let go of all restraint and tapped into the dragonline, much like my predecessor… my mother… Galatea. I didn't realize I was attacking you at the time. Honestly, I cannot blame you at all for your actions. I just wish… I had hoped…"

The floating goddess paused, tears now welling up in her own eyes. She blinked them back and wiped away the sadness there, then placed one hand on Linna's chest. "You know, I was really very happy for everything that you gave me. Without your kiss, without your love for Priss I never would have been created. And I know you've suffered terribly because of it… because of me. That's why… that's why I sent Priss back to you after my birth. And I've experienced so very much since then. But even as I traveled this entire world, I was missing something. I could see and feel the love in all the fans that flocked to my music. But still, it wasn't the kind of love that… now that I think back on it… the kind of love I wanted to find."

As Aoede spoke, Linna thought she could almost feel the warmth radiate through her hand and into her body. But suddenly, pain struck at her extremities, her eyes flashed down and to the sides. To her horror, she found that not only was she unable to move her feet and hands still… they appeared to be evaporating. Her eyes shot wide open, wordlessly pleading at the goddess above her for help.

Aoede followed Linna's eyes and a very pained look crossed her own face. "That's why I came back to see Sylia… and you and Priss. I wanted to find out what it meant to have the love of a family. I just, I didn't know how to express myself. And yet, there were so many conflicting feelings and emotions. I tried to reach out to Sylia, to Nene, to Priss and you. But all I felt was hatred and bitterness. I didn't know how to deal with it. I still don't. I guess I never will."

The pale arm wrapped in the green robe slid across Linna's skin and to her palm, gripping it even as the very fabric of the hand dissolved into nothingness. "You've contacted the core of my being with your hardsuit. That act has paralyzed your body and allowed the phenomenon to infect your body. Likely because of your interaction with the hardsuits, the phenomenon is able to freely rewrite your mind as it wants. I can't control it nor can I stop it… at least not by simply willing it to happen.

Linna shut her eyes and tried to block the deathly fear trying to overcome her. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks despite her attempts. Through the cold numbness enveloping her body, she felt a warm touch to her face and reopened her eyes to find crying eyes trying to lend her comfort staring back into her soul.

And as Aoede's tears fell onto Linna's still face, she tried to further explain. "When Dr. Stingray created the first sotai, his idea was to make an artificial intelligence capable of harnessing great power. And while our bodies have great potential, we also have enormous responsibility. Galatea realized that much later in her lifespan, but was able to give me that knowledge early on in my development. However, it is that very ability to harness the power behind our facade that is our weakness. We aren't the phenomenon; we are simply the gateway for it. Once it has been internally released, there is only one thing on this earth that can stop its progression."

The boomer goddess hesitated, wiping away even more tears as she held back the mental overload she was dealing with herself. "But I don't want to. I… I still have so much more I want to do. I don't want to give it all up now. But… I know… it's the only way," she sniffled in a very human manner, standing upright in front of Linna, composing herself as much as she could. "It was the sacrifice that Priss made to save you at the Showhamm station that led to my creation. And in the end, it'll be my sacrifice that gives you back to her. It's only fair I suppose. And I don't even know what the hell that means! Fair… what is fair in this thing humans call life anyway? That's what I would like to know… who decides what is fair and what is not."

Aoede glanced over at Linna's arms and legs noting the progression of the viral phenomenon. Her eyes closed in apparent realization that her time was nearly up. Tears fell freely from her crimson eyes now, unwilling or unable to stop them. "I'll leave you with one gift, Linna. Something that Galatea left to me." The sotai lifted one hand to Linna's face, gently touching her forehead just above her frightened, shaking eyes.

Instantly thousands of images flooded her mind, scattering to all corners of her being. Her eyes rolled back in her head momentarily before a soothing, calming, centering thought managed to bring her back to focus. Before her, Aoede was now standing on top of a fallen, solid white cross. She glanced behind her and the cross instantly shifted upright, its solid frame turning black, absorbing all light around it, sucking in the green robes of the boomer goddess. She gave one more glance to Linna, tears and fears barely held back. "Please… please tell Priss… tell her I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused her. Let her know that… tell her that I loved her. Tell her that I know she'll make a great mother someday, just like her mother was for her."

With that, Aoede let herself go and was absorbed into the black cross…

… and in the next instant, Linna was back in her hardsuit, falling backwards, her extended right arm pulling out of the arcing and sparking female boomers chest. She hit the ground, but was somewhat insulated inside the hardsuit. In the grip of her right hand lay the destroyed core of the sotai. Linna stared up into it, trying to get her bearings straight. "_Did… did that just happen?"_

_"LINNA!! Linna, are you alright? What's happening down there??"_

She heard the mental cries of Priss at the same time her eyes and her hardsuit focused on the approaching Blue Saber. She felt a nearby crash at the same time she heard the fall. And when she tried to look up and over to the source of the sound, she found herself able to move. Sitting up, she glanced over to find the sotai lying on her back, crimson eyes faded, unfocused, staring into the black night sky. Linna brought the remains of the core in her armored hand closer to her visor. She opened the visor and stared into those remains as a chill wisped down her spine.

She closed up mentally, speaking through the hardsuit's com system. "She's gone Priss. Aoede… Aoede is dead."

She felt the panicked response from the other woman but held her response inside as much as she could. "Dead? What… what happened? Was it those other hardsuits??" The Blue Saber landed just meters away from Linna, her own blue visor scanning back and forth before locking into two distinct objects… Linna's right arm… and the hole in Aoede's chest. "Is that… that's her core, isn't it?"

The tone in Priss' voice turned very cold and distant. Linna couldn't help but notice. And even as she tried to reason with herself over how to tell her what happened, the remains of the core in her hand coupled with the memories in her mind seemed to destroy all semblance of that logic. But she still tried to piece it all together. The enemy hardsuits, the missles hitting the black hardsuit, the phenomenon spreading like wildfire, the metal vines attacking, then her one chance to stop the sotai, but she hadn't known the consequences of her actions. Linna could vividly recall the images of the robed Aoede floating above her, trying to calm her, to reassure her, trying to explain a boomers actions, and then the last request, a message for Priss. It all replayed for Linna inside of her mind as she stared into the burnt out, cracked, and fragmented core in her hand. Fresh, real tears welled up inside of her eyes, forcing the orange visor to open. Linna fell onto her knees and elbows, cradling the remains of the core in her hands as the tears poured onto the ground.

But she felt a touch on her shoulder through the hardsuit, and looked up to find Priss at her side, her own visor open, tears welling up in her own brown eyes.

"She said that? I'd make a good mom someday?"

Confused momentarily, Linna suddenly realized that she wasn't able to hold all those feelings, those images and words inside. And she didn't have to explain them to Priss because Priss could see and feel them just as she could. She leapt up and into Priss' arms, letting all her emotions out onto her strong, armored shoulders. "…I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Priss held Linna tightly, trying to lend her comfort even as she tried to make sense of everything that had happened. "Its okay Linna, it's going to be okay now. It's over. It's all over. It's all over."

They held each other tightly until Linna's sobs quieted down nearly a full minute later. "I'm sorry for leaving you like that," Priss said apologetically. "I should have let you come with me."

"No, no you were right. Leon had no protection and we… we stopped the hardsuits here. I just needed to listen to you and trust… trust her a little more."

Priss pulled back and gazed into Linna's pale-violet, teary eyes. "Linna, when all this started happening," she said, shifting her eyes to the network of metal vines and corrupted structures surrounding them, "truth is, I would have done the same thing."

Linna sniffled, then looked over at the remains still held in her hand. Blinking back the tears, she opened her eyes back to Priss and smiled softly. "Thank you."

Priss returned the smile, then took hold of Linna's right arm. She led the arm down to Linna's side then whispered to her. "You can let go now. It's okay."

Linna nodded, then let go, allowing the remains of the core to fall. She followed the remains with her eyes until the moment they impacted the deformed rooftop. But the instant the remains touched the surface, she felt a strange tingling in the base of her neck. She looked up into Priss' concerned eyes and realized that she wasn't alone. "You feel that too, don't you?"

Priss nodded, then turned around to look at Aoede's body. It wasn't moving, but a faint green hue outlined her still frame.

"What's…" Priss began to ask just as a spark rippled across the dead boomer's arms and chest. Then a stronger spark, and another… Then one large arc and pop from the head to the chest…

The sudden pop startled Linna as she jumped backwards. She thought Priss was jumping too… until her blue hardsuit fell motionless to the ground. "Priss? PRISS!!"

She tried to reach over to the fallen Knight, but her hardsuit suddenly froze in place. The ground at her feet rumbled, then began to flow. Her eyes were pulled over to the now fully glowing dead boomer that was pulling itself upright. "Aoede!!"

The boomer goddess stood up, her eyes still emotionless, expressionless. However, the energy radiating from her body and into the ground at her feet increased exponentially. The energy transferred into the building as it grew upward, taller and wider. Linna felt pressed down into her hardsuit, the ground was swelling upward so fast. Soon she could see throughout upper Tokyo, and down at her feet the ground hardened, solidified and smoothed out into a level, metal surface. She was so preoccupied with the scenery that she was surprised when she saw a pair of bare feet approach her.

Nervous eyes peered upward at the now revived boomer goddess. "Aoede? Are you… unngggggh"

Linna was stunned when Aoede's right arm suddenly morphed into a sharp blade and struck directly at her abdomen. Even with her hardsuit semi-frozen, she had enough willpower to catch the blade before it penetrated into her armor. But as it was the blade impacted her gut, pushing the air from her lungs. "Wha… what are you…"

"Aoede? So that was the name given to this sotai?" a deep masculine voice emanated from the otherwise female form.

"Name? What are you talking about?" Linna said, struggling.

"You. You are one of the Knight Sabers. I have wanted to ask you a question for quite a long time now. Just why do you hate boomers so much? Why can't you be…" the male voice continued as the glow in the boomers body transferred from the blade and into the hands and arms of the green hardsuit. As the infection spread, the hardsuit's arms shifted its grip up the blade shaft… and then plunged the blade deep into Linna Yamazaki's scarred midsection. "… friends with the boomers."

"Gaaaaghhhh!", Linna screamed, losing control of her hardsuit, gurgling up blood from her mouth as she still continued to struggle. But even with the blade cutting deep within, she fought back. Focusing, she was able to begin to pull the blade from her midsection. She activated her mono-ribbons and tried to whip them around to cut through the blade.

However, the boomer caught the ribbons before they could strike. And the phenomenon flowing through its hands deactivated them, rendering them harmless… harmless to the boomer, but not Linna as it pulled on the ribbons, further impaling the blade through her.

Linna let out another blood curdling scream as the sharp blade sliced even deeper into her body. But in the next moment, her breath was cut short when the boomer lifted her body up by the saber impaled deep inside her body.

The blade grotesquely thrusted directly out the back of the hardsuit just to the side of the spine, blood running off the edges, dripping off the blade and the feet of the suspended hardsuit.

Faded violet eyes stared at the ground, unblinking, unfocused, unmoving.

The boomer stared at its handiwork, then glanced over at the unmoving blue hardsuit before peering around at the new landscape. "It appears that we will have much to clean up." The boomer let go of the mono-ribbons and then to the edge of the now tall pyramid structure. With a flick of its right arm, the green hardsuit flew off the saber and completely over the edge of the roof, bouncing off the sides of the huge sloped structure until even the echoes of its hollow clanging stopped several stories below.

It walked over to the blue hardsuit, reforming its saber back into a functioning arm. Picking up the blue hardsuit, it tossed it over one shoulder. The boomer began to glow once more, except for some arcing and sparking across its frame and into the blue hardsuit. A few moments later, the communications channel it wished to open was activated.

"Division L-42b, do you read me?"

Static answered momentarily before a surprised male voice excitedly answered the call. "Yes… yes, this is L-42b! We've been getting solid readings for the last few minutes now!"

"Then I can confirm those readings. This is Quincy Rosencreutz. Lazurus procedure three delta has been carried out successfully. I will be heading to station 36z for debrifing and retrofit. Oh, and please pick me up at the new Genom tower. It should be easy to find from satellite."

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: This isn't exactly how I pictured this part of the story to happen. I'd had an idea of some sort of 'meeting' between Priss, Linna, and Galatea II since I got past chapter 4 or so in the original AFA. However, up until a few months ago, the story was supposed to end here one way or the other. Well, after rewatching BGC 2040 for the 5th (or so) time, I ran across a blurb about Quincy that seemed to make way too much sense… the fact that he was pouring money into the boomer program to advance and extend human life… not to utilize it somewhere in this fic. And the thing that was really holding me up from finishing the fic was a missing piece I couldn't quite get a grip on. Well, thank you Mr Rosencreutz for helping me with that little problem, though I doubt Priss, Linna or the rest of the crew (well, the ones that are still alive and well anyway) will be as happy about it as I am. XP

For those counting at home, I think there will be five more chapters past this one. Give or take one or two, of course. Barring any other unexpected turns… :)

Also, with this whole Reader Stats thing, I can tell (I think) that there are a few people reading this fic. If you have any feedback, tips, hints, things you want me to see or fix, let me know. Nothings set in stone and I do enjoy the feedback. After writing this story for the last five years, I'm not exactly writing this for just me anymore. :)


	26. Ch 25: Divide

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 25 – "Divide"

* * *

_From the World News Network, headlines for today, Thursday, July 16, 2041. Residents of Japan are in shock at the overnight appearance of a huge pyramid structure in the center of the Kanto area of Tokyo. Eyewitness accounts are claiming that the structure instantly raised several hundred stories straight out of the ground. There are unconfirmed reports of boomer related activity in the area at the time the unknown structure reportedly appeared, however multinational peacekeeping authorities have yet to comment on these claims. Additionally, we are now getting reports from our European affiliates that representatives from Genom are preparing to address the appearance of this new Tokyo Tower, which will undoubtedly fuel additional boomer related speculation. Stay tuned for the latest breaking updates on this rapidly developing story._

_Now onto other world news. Yesterday marked the third straight day of cancelled concerts in Switzerland, with angry fans rioting in the streets. Rumors abound on the internet, talk shows and even with public figures now speaking out on the whereabouts of the Goddess of Sound, Aoede…_

* * *

"How long until the power is brought online for the Tower's main bus?" the thick male figure asked, standing in the center of the large executive suite while facing the large tri-windows of the otherwise enclosed space.

The nervous technician wearing blue Genom overalls sputtered the answer to the back of the man. "W… we're still downloading the specifications for the power layout to the emergency computer core Mr. Chairman."

Quincy gazed out into the red sun just now beginning to shine its morning rays onto the cool metal ceiling above him. "How long?" he repeated the question.

The technical swallowed hard. "Weeks, sir. Weeks."

Quincy smiled as he bowed his head. "Let me rephrase the question then. If I want power on in three hours, what would have to happen?"

"Three hours?? We… well… but… the sequence is like this Chairman. The backup and main system computers have to be fully started and synchronized, specs for the tower uploaded, control software updated and calibrated, internal systems checked out, external buses tied in… and then we can begin to power up some of the subsystems and emergency buses. After those have been checked out, and the internal generator configured…"

"And what if the computer hardware and software were already prepared and the internal generator online?"

"But internal power can't be…"

"Just humor me for a moment Mr. Roy. What if…"

The technician swallowed his concerns and scratched his head. "Well, if the reactor was active and stable at standby conditions, and the computer cores were completely ready, we could immediately begin bringing on the subsystems and have main bus power on in… a few hours probably, but only if everything checked out and no problems were found."

"And have you found any problems yet?" Quincy asked expectantly.

"N… no, Mr. Chairman, of course not."

"I didn't think so." His head lifted up into the rising sun, cool eyes reflecting the dim red rays. With no outward effort, his eyes shifted their hue from the reddish tint to a sharp green glow. Within moments, a low rumbling sound emanated from deep beneath their feet.

"What's happening?" the technician stammered nervously. He grabbed the com device on his belt and was about to key the microphone when the speaker erupted in sound.

"Mr Roy! Mr. Roy! The computers are going crazy down here!" one voice exclaimed through the speaker.

"The reactor! Its glowing… something's happening!!" another voice shouted.

As the confused technical tried to make sense of what he was hearing, his eyes gleaned to the sharp dressed man standing with his hands clasped behind his back. Although he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, just the aura of Quincy was enough to unnerve almost anyone even under normal circumstances. And these were not normal circumstances. "Mr. Chairman?"

"I would recommend starting with the computing core and concentrating on having your staff ready to operate the systems within half an hour," Quincy 'suggested', turning to face Mr. Roy with a sharp… but colorless… gleam in his eye. "I believe you will find all the necessary files and programs up to date and prepared for loading when you get there. The reactor will be waiting for you when you are prepared."

Mr. Roy quickly bowed. "Yes Mr. Chairman," he acknowledged, then spun around and scampered out the manually opened door and towards the nearest stairwell.

The suited man's eyes shifted to the left, then closed as recognition of an internal query came to his focus. "Yes Dr. Harland?"

A voice not audible in the rest of the suite spoke to Quincy. "I thought you'd like to know that the fading factor of the sotai phenomenon is now at 17."

"So the decay accelerated 2 from that small exercise? I'm disappointed," Quincy spoke through an internal communication device… a device internal to his own newly activated cybernetic body.

"That's correct. We were also able to verify the 25 effectivity factor utilizing the phenomenon through your systems. It's very wasteful," the Doctor added wistfully.

Quincy smiled to no one in particular as he walked back towards the windows, setting his gaze once again on the brightening sun. "How is progress on importing the phenomenon?"

"We are still pouring over the data from the battery complex you helped us to locate last night. And coupled with the sample here we are making good strides. However, I still would have liked to have held onto the human host for more studies. The connection to her hardsuit would make for fascinating research."

The sound of footsteps approaching brought Quincy's attention back to the doorway. A wobbly light illuminated the hallway moments before a heavily breathing man briskly walked to the doorway of the suite. The man dressed in a white collared shirt and tie coupled with dark slacks and holding a flashlight neatly bowed to the Chairman. "Sir, the background search results you asked for," he announced, quickly walking up to Quincy and handing him a sharply assembled folder. "Our linked databases turned up a few bits of information. However, it was the internal check that came back with the real data."

"Internal check?" Quincy queried, his curiosity piqued as he took the folder and opened the contents.

The smug intelligence officer let out a wry smile. "It's on the second page."

The Chairman turned to the page stared into it for a few moments. His enhanced body didn't need the extra time to visually process the data on the page, but the ramifications of the data required some extra time to calculate through. After a few more attentive seconds on that bit of data, he quickly sped through the rest of the pages of the report. "So you have verified the authenticity?"

"Even the DNA sir," the confident officer beamed.

A click-snap in the hallway preceded the red emergency lights energizing outside the doorway and inside the suite. The soft hum of ventilation fans powered on just a few seconds later.

"Very well," Quincy affirmed. "Your next task will be to set up an outer ring suite for our guest on the 165th floor. You should be able to utilize the elevators now to furnish the room properly."

"But sir, a suite? And, that's not even a secured area!" he began to protest.

"I do not believe we will need to keep her locked up any longer," Quincy punctuated by closing the folder and tucking it under one arm.

"Yes Mr. Chairman," the officer acknowledged, bowing before quickly exiting, the now powered door automatically sliding closed behind him.

Quincy checked his watch, more from habit than necessity. "Five minutes. Very impressive Mr. Roy," he noted to himself. He walked over to his executive desk and picked up a folder from the top of the cherry wood. "Dr. Harland," he spoke to his internal com link, "it appears my hunch was more beneficial than I had hoped. That 'host' you were referring to earlier is definitely better served here at the Tower."

"That is disappointing," the Doctor replied. "However, when did you intend for transport of Station 36 facilities to the tower?" he asked from his remote location.

"You can start the transfer immediately. By the time you arrive, we will be fully prepared. Also, I have one other request that I want ready for our guest."

Once the matter was addressed, the remote team acknowledged the order. "We'll start the processing at once," Dr. Harland replied before terminating the link.

Quincy reviewed the photos in the other folder before closing it and tucking it with the other one under his powerful arm. He gazed one more time into the sunrise through the tri-windows. "And to think I haven't seen a sunrise with my own eyes for almost ten years." Letting out a smile, he purposefully turned towards to the hallway, heading towards the holding cells… and towards the focus of the folders held under his arm.

* * *

"The Lazarus Project? You don't mean… Quincy Rosencreutz??"

The Chinese agent on the other end of the channel nervously nodded his head. "Yes. Rumors are flying that it was successful. I've also gotten a tip that he is going to present to the Battery review board in Europe."

"But, why would he? Even if Lazarus was a success… he can't add any value to that inquiry! Do you know when he's going to talk to them? What he's planning to say?" the agigated Chinese scientist clamored from the damaged hardsuit development control room.

"The tip said this afternoon, as soon as the board convienes in Europe. No details on what he would present."

"What? Today??" The lead scientist glanced to the side, his mind in obvious termiol.

"I'll have to follow up with my sources and get confirmation on the meeting and also on the elimination of two of the three targets in Tokyo. I will be in touch later. Out," the agent ended the connection.

The scientist scratched his head. "The only way Lazarus would have worked would have been in conjunction with another transfer breakthrough," he reasoned to himself in the otherwise empty control room. He glanced over at an image on one of the two still functioning monitors. There, a split screen showed two sets of data. In one, six female faces were displayed with two of the six, a blond with red eyes and a brown haired woman with voilet eyes, crossed out with a thick red line. The other data set displayed a satellite intelligence photo showing the new rounded tower structure in Tokyo was prominitely displayed.

The other display flashed to active, the face of a very concerned communist official appeared to stare into the scientist. "Jun, give me a status report on the current missions," he sternly ordered.

Jun sat upright in his chair and stared into the camera pointing at him from between the two monitors. "We've lost contact with the team in Switzerland. We have preliminary intelligence that two of the three targets in Tokyo was eliminated, however the other appears to have been captured by Genom. We've lost contact with our primary suits in Tokyo as well, likely due to the same forces that spawned the tower."

"Then there is nothing further we can do," the party official said. "Order your team to evacuate the facilities and purge the systems there."

Jun leapt up from his chair. "Purge? Why?? We can't just stop now!"

"This is straight from the Chambers. We have to pull back now before we are exposed. They are fearful of a Rosenkreutz led Genom. Now execute your orders. Go, hurry!"

Jun cut the line and bowed his head. Even he understood the reach and the power of Quincy Rosencreutz. And from what he knew of Project Lazarus, if the rumors were true, Quincy was now more formidable than ever.

* * *

The thick metal door slid open replaced by the outline of a tall male figure standing in its place. Slivers of light from the dimly lit hallway filtered around the man, illuminating the small, dark holding cell. The light crawled across the bare floor until it reached a lone figure lying on its side, facing away from the door. The figure wore a white t-shirt and jeans, ruffled hair resting on a folded up black jacket filling in for a pillow.

The man didn't try and enter the metal cell, instead holding his ground in the doorway. "My apologies for the rude treatment and uncomfortable arrangements, Ms Asagiri. I am sure waking up in this room wasn't the best way to treat our guests. We are currently in the process of furnishing our new Tokyo headquarters."

Priss didn't bother rolling over to face him. "Who are you? What do you want?" she calmly asked, her tone flat, emotionless.

The man let out a small smile from his stoic face. "Who I am isn't important at the moment. I wanted to personally escort you to your new room, however."

Priss turned her head around far enough to see the man standing in the doorway, then turned back around and rested her head back onto her jacket. "No thanks. This is comfortable enough… unless your letting me go."

"I have no intention of keeping you here against your will. However, I feel it's the least I can do to offer you a suite here at Genom Tower, especially since your previous home seems to have been buried during its creation yesterday."

That comment was enough to cause the woman to sit up and face the suited man. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, I'd forgotten that we found you unconscious in the hardsuit. You must have not been aware of the emergency defensive programming that activated in the sotai you knew as Aoede. When its core was destroyed, it allowed the defensive encapsulation subroutine to take effect. In short, the sotai was programmed to create its own containment fortress as a last resort to protect humanity against the phenomenon. After the event at the Wiz Lab in 2033, we had made the assumption that the programming had failed. However it appears that it was still active but not triggered. Thanks to you and your other friend, we were spared this time."

_Linna_. "Where is she?"

The man bowed his head. "That is why I wanted to talk to you in person. I have some documents to review with you regarding your friend. Also, I wish to discuss a former employer of yours by the name of Sylia Stingray. It seems as if we've found some rather incriminating evidence linking her to one of our own former employees… one you might be familiar with… Brian J. Mason."

The look of shock evident in Priss' eyes at the mere mention of Mason's name was all the verification Quincy really needed at the moment. However, he had further plans to address as well. With a flash of a grin that was instantly suppressed, he continued his pitch. "If you will follow me, we can discuss this in a room with much better lighting." He turned to the side, inviting Priss out of the cell.

She hesitated at first, but her concerns for Linna's well being outweighed any others in her mind. Thus she stood up, carrying her jacket as she walked cautiously out of the cell and into the unknown.

* * *

The young Chinese woman sat up in the bed, staring at the tray of food that the strange gentleman had placed over her. "Is this for me?" she asked surprised.

"Master Mackey suggested that you would likely be hungry after your ordeal last evening. If you need more food, please don't hesitate to ask," he replied sincerely.

"…Mackey…" something in that name instantly had a calming effect on the former hardsuit pilot. She inspected the drink, sandwiches and snacks all neatly arranged on the shiny metallic tray. Picking up a cracker, she took a crumb and tested it. Finding it to her liking, she didn't waste any more time and quickly began devouring the rest of the food before her.

Henderson smiled and took his leave from the room, intending to check on the other three Chinese women in their separate rooms. But once he had exited the bedroom, a voice halted his duties.

"How are the other hardsuit pilots, Meiso?" Mackey asked, walking up the stairs towards him.

"Ah, they are all eating and seem to be feeling much better this morning Master Mackey."

"Good. I'm glad that I was able to keep them from getting hurt yesterday," he replied.

"As am I, sir. As am I," Henderson agreed with a wisp of a smile on his tired face. "Are you certain they won't try and cause any more trouble for Mistress Sylia or the others?"

Mackey shook his head in affirmation. "They won't be a bother to them at all. In fact, I believe they can help to persuade the Chinese government to leave them alone… with a little help from me," he smiled with just a sly twinkle to his eye.

Just down the stairs, outside the closed door two women sat on an undamaged section of the front porch. Katsumi listened to her friend talking on her navi. And from the tone of the conversation, she could tell Jill was still quite nervous.

"Are you sure they aren't sending any reinforcements?" the blond spoke.

"There's movement, but it doesn't appear to be directed externally," a voice spoke from the other side of the connection.

"That's not exactly reassuring me. I'd rather not get attacked by unknown hardsuits again if it can be avoided."

"I know, I know. I'm working a couple of sources for more info on just how they were able to launch that attack. Apparently it wasn't just you who was targeted. Have you heard what happened in Tokyo last night?"

"Tokyo? No, I haven't…"

"You might want to sit down then."

"I'm already there."

"You used to have a keen interest in Genom a couple of years ago, right."

"Go on."

"And a few months ago you asked me about someone named Priss Asagiri."

"And?"

"Well, I'm going to send you a copy of something you should take a close look at. It's a video file from the Battery Inquiry. Lets just say that Genom, Asagiri, and a group known as the Knight Sabers were the topic of the Inquiry today."

A few minutes later, Jill burst through the front door with Katsumi right behind her. "Nene! Sylia! You need to come here now!" she yelled through the house.

"What's wrong?" the blond girl asked from the top of the stairs. Sylia quickly walked up and took a position next to her at the railing.

"I just got a tip from an old friend. It's about Genom. They are putting the blame for the boomer plague on the Knight Sabers."

"I'm not surprised," Sylia said, bowing her head and smiling slightly. "I thought they would try something like this sooner or later."

"But Sylia, that's not the problem," Katsumi corrected. "It's not just Genom."

Jill nodded in agreement. "Come here and see for yourself," she waved her arm, coaxing them down the stairs.

They gathered around the table of the living room. Filled with antique furniture and without so much as a television in the room, Jill used her Navi's holo-screen feature to tell the story for her. Setting the device on the coffee table, it started projecting a recorded video of a meeting in the air above the navi.

"It's the Battery Inquiry hearings, correct?" Nene guessed by the people shown in the video images.

"Yes," Jill affirmed, "but pay attention to who ties in remotely."

They all watched intently as the members of the inquiry discussed the agenda, then summoned the Genom reps in Europe for their opening remarks for the day.

"Let us bring your attention to our new headquarters in Tokyo," they announced. The screen flickered momentarily before it displayed four people sitting in a conference room. The video was small, but they could make out the figures of an older male and younger female sitting in the middle, with two suited males flanking them on the outsides.

Sylia felt a deep sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach the instant they began to introduce themselves.

"I would like to start off by announcing that in fact, I am Quincy Rosencreutz. I'm certain you will have questions on my appearance, but suffice to say that my current look is a product of Genom's life extension program, which I will be happy to discuss at length after these hearings if you so desire. To my left is Priscilla Asagiri. She is here today to help shed light on one of the people responsible for not only the Battery incident, but the boomer plague in Tokyo. I'm speaking of the leader of a band of vigilante's known as the Knight Sabers, Sylia Stingray."

"No, it can't be," Nene gasped.

Sylia covered her mouth in shock., then nervously ran her hand through her hair. "Why Priss? Why?"

Jill frowned as she inspected their responses. "I was afraid that was the case."

The image of Quincy continued his speech. "Today we will show how Sylia Stingray conspired with a rogue employee inside Genom by the name of Brian J. Mason. Together, they plotted to resurrect and manipulate forbidden, failed technology in their quest for revenge against Genom and humanity as a whole. Their quest led to the boomer plague in Tokyo, the Cube failure across the world and in the Battery Complex, and one more revelation that will undoubtedly shock and dismay the world at large. Their illegal, immoral acts also led to the creation, release, and worldwide contamination of the sotai phenomenon. This phenomenon is the catalyst to the boomer plague in Tokyo, and was spread by none other than an artificial being who called herself Aoede. However, thanks to the efforts of Priss Asagiri and others acting on the goodwill of humanity, this threat has been eliminated. Aoede has been deactivated and it is now secured within the new Tokyo Tower Headquarters of Genom, per our emergency procedures."

Sylia collapsed in the couch, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't believe this," she murmured under her shallow breath.

They watched silently and intently until Quincy paused to let Priss speak. "Please introduce yourself Priscilla and tell the board members what you experienced as a member of the Knight Sabers."

Dressed in a business suit just a shade more formal than her typical stage attire, the brown haired woman paused uncomfortably before the microphone. Closing her eyes, she bowed her head momentarily before raising back up with a steely calm focus etched on her face. And even on the small holo-screen projection, it was apparent that Priss wasn't very happy at the moment.

"I joined the Knight Sabers at the request of Sylia Stingray two years ago. She provided me with a hardsuit in order to destroy rogue boomers… or, at least that's what she said it was for. She paid me for my work in destroying boomers that went out of control, and I was fool enough to believe her for a while. But when we were told about something buried in the earthquake, that's when the lies started to fly. She never told us what was down there. But I should have known something wasn't right because of the way Sylia had me help her in the search for it… the sotai. You were told about Mason's plan to send a boomer to my club and start killing innocent people to try and coax me back into one of those damn hardsuits. But what you didn't hear was that Sylia planned the damn thing with Mason. When she just showed up at the club with my hardsuit… damnit… I… I should have known better…"

In the recording, Priss stopped talking, her fists clenching tightly on the table before Quincy gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Please continue Priscilla," he encouraged.

His touch seemed to unnerve her slightly. However, she drew in a deep breath and leaned over to the microphone at the table once more. "When we were searching in the earthquake zone, we were told to only locate the lab, not to go into it. Sylia never told us… or me… why. But, once we found it Sylia brought out a microwave cannon that she claimed would destroy it. All it wound up doing was releasing it instead. Sylia acted upset. We believed that she really wanted to stop the phenomenon from escaping. But, I don't know if I believe that anymore. She lied to me about the incident in the club. She lied to me about the hardsuits. They weren't suits… they were boomers. She lied to me about the sotai. She even lied to me about… about my father. I don't trust anything she says anymore. I can't."

Priss paused, her eyes watering up. Wiping away a stray tear, she managed to continue. "When we tried to fight the sotai, we never stood a chance. We even tried to go into space… when Galatea took the Genom Tower to the Umbrella, she kidnapped one of… one of my teammates. I had to go save her. Sylia… Sylia said she had to stop the sotai. I don't know what the hell she was doing because she certainly didn't stop it. In fact, the sotai wound up using me… taking me and… Galatea created Aoede from my body. The damn phenomenon wound up infecting me…and I never had a clue. Sylia never warned us about any of that until it was too late to do anything about it." Priss growled out the last few sentences before finally ending her testimony. Quincy continued to fill in the rest of the story for her, from his slanted point of view.

During Priss' testimony, Mackey and even Henderson were sucked into the verbal maelstrom in the living room, listening to the damning words spoken by one of their own. By the end of the recording, Sylia was slumped fully into the couch, her head buried in her hands. Both Nene and Mackey sat on either side of her, trying to lend comfort and support as much as they could.

"So they didn't even mention anyone else… not Nene… not Linna… and neither you or I Kat. They only blamed Sylia and Mason," Jill summarized.

"Is Priss always that cold?" Katsumi asked.

Nene looked up from the couch. "She… she's been distant at times. Not very easy to get along with, but… I never thought she'd do something like this. It… its just… something's not adding up. What… what did she mean about lying about her father?" Nene turned to Sylia with a confused look on her face.

Sylia shook her head wordlessly, barely acknowledging the question.

However, Nene's thoughts were racing much faster than Sylia's at the moment. "Did they… maybe… maybe Genom is holding Linna. Maybe they are forcing Priss to testify." An idea popped in her head and Nene sprung from the couch and ran for her Navi. She suddenly realized she had already wasted way too much time.

Mackey watched Nene run out of the living room, his heart torn between following her and staying with Sylia. But Sylia helped him decide by speaking out against Priss.

"That wasn't forced. Priss wasn't acting. She meant every damn word she said," Sylia growled, anger rising in her voice.

"She didn't lie about anything, did she Sylia?" Jill countered coldly.

Katsumi gasped. "Jill! How can you…"

"Yes… No… no…," Sylia answered, cutting off Katsumi's attempt to defend her. "… most everything she said was the truth… I think…."

"But Quincy bent the truth to shed Genom in a more favorable light," Mackey clarified.

"Still, that means that you did conspire with Mason," Jill surmised. "Priss said that you worked with him to have her wear the hardsuit to help find Galatea, when she had already quit the Knight Sabers. When you brought Priss' hardsuit to that club, you knew what he was planning."

Sylia's eyes brimmed with anger as she glared at Jill. "No! I had no idea he'd send a boomer in to a crowd of innocent people and start killing them!"

"So just what did you think he was going to do then? Put a bow on the hardsuit and ask Priss to pretty please put it on for him?"

"Jill! That's not fair!" Katsumi screamed, actually getting in her face to yell at her.

But the woman with the artificial right arm wasn't going to back down. "No, but since when was Sylia ever fair with us? And do you think for a minute that she was any different with Priss, Linna or even Nene?"

"Just who's side are you on here?!"

"Now Kat, that's a good question. I would guess that half the civilized world will be out searching for Sylia now. Once they find her, she'll be put on trial. Whose side do you want to be on when they do?"

"Jill, that's cold," Katsumi grumbled, her eyes narrowing.

"I think she's right Katsumi," Sylia announced from behind the two arguing partners. "I want you both of you to take the other side if you have to… testify against me in order to protect yourselves."

The dark haired woman turned and stared. "Sylia! You can't be serious!"

"It's alright Kat. Jill, I want you, Nene and Katsumi to watch over Mackey. Keep him hidden. Keep him safe," she said, turning to her shocked brother and grasping one of his hands. "If they want to prosecute me, then they can have me. All I wanted to do, from the time I started the Knight Sabers, was to keep my fathers technology from being abused. Now that the sotai's have been destroyed, my job is done. And I don't want to drag any of you any further into this than you already are. Maybe Priss… maybe she's doing us all a favor and showing the way for you to carry on your lives."

Sylia gave a curt, pained smile at Mackey. But with a shake of his brown hair, he stood tall from the couch and faced his sister. "Don't be an idiot Sylia," he chided. "We aren't turning our backs on you… not with everything you've had to go through. I won't leave you alone. And I'm not running away from this little problem."

"Mackey! You can't… they'll destroy you if they find out you're… that you…"

Sylia bowed her head, her fists clenched. However, two calm hands settled over them, giving a steadying point for the distressed woman. "And that's better than living the rest of my life in hiding. Sylia, you protected me when I didn't even know I needed it. You kept me safe and tried to stop the misuse of father's technology all on your own. I knew why you had to hide the truth at times. And I knew it wasn't easy for you, Sylia. You even welcomed me into your house as one of your own family. And for that I am eternally grateful. But, now it's my turn to pay back the favor. We will find a way through this." Mackey shifted his gaze over to a smiling Katsumi and a slightly guilty looking Jill. "Together, we will clear your name and the name of the Knight Sabers."

"But… but what about Priss?" Sylia countered, her voice weak and wavering, wanting to believe in Mackey but still casting doubts over her resolve.

He glanced to the side, eyes narrowing. "We will have to work around that. Even though she was just giving facts as she knows them, Genom still turned those facts into half-truths."

"Especially about my supposed coercion with Mason," Sylia agreed.

Nene burst into the living room, her Navi in hand. "Mackey! Sylia! I just talked to Linna's mom. They are freaking out! She said that Linna left to go to Tokyo to find Priss two days ago. They haven't heard from her since. I asked them about Genom's press conference and Priss. They… they say that they barely even recognized Priss during the press conference. They're really worried about both of them… especially Linna. They… they're afraid something happened to Linna…"

"Then we have to find out the truth. We have to find out what happened in Tokyo and find Linna," Mackey announced.

"But what if they were attacked by the Chinese hardsuits too? Maybe Linna never made it to Tokyo," Jill reasoned.

"And we can find out. I'm sure our guests upstairs will be happy to help us," Mackey replied. In the meantime, we can't stay here any longer. With Sylia being named in the inquiry, we will have to move and move quickly."

"And there is only one place to go for the answers," Nene spoke from her understanding.

Mackey nodded in her direction. "We'll have to go back to Tokyo."

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: All I'll say is that this wasn't supposed to happen. Dammit, Quincy comes back from his computerized hell and starts wrecking my story. XP


	27. Ch 26: Am I Evil?

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 26 – "Am I Evil?"

* * *

Feet shuffled down the stairs from the intercontinental jetliner parked on the Narita tarmac. Just outside the remains of Tokyo, hubs for relief efforts were set up all around skirts of the bustling airport. Many of the people exiting the airplane were heading for those relief efforts. A line formed at the military security checkpoint just outside the main international terminal with UN solders mixed in with airport security for good measure.

"Excuse me! You need to step this way!" one of the guards at the bottom of the portable stairway yelled out to a group of newcomers. They had apparently turned the wrong way towards the rear of the plane and perhaps not so consequently towards the cargo hold.

Four women continued to walk towards the luggage tram parked at the end of the plane while a tall male figure turned back towards the guard.

"Hey, you aren't allowed back there…" the guard started to say before peering into the man's eyes… just as they faintly glowed a greenish hue.

"We just want to help out with our luggage," Mackey said rather convincingly, his phenomena aura spreading out just far enough to make sure that they would pass through unnoticed.

"Okay, just helping with the luggage. Good," the guard agreed and turned back to the rest of the disembarking passengers.

Mackey quick-stepped his way over to catch up with the other four women. They were in the process of commandeering a cargo van when he caught a strange glance from Sylia. "What?" he asked with an innocent tone.

She frowned as she opened up the door to the side of the van. "It's nothing," she denied tersely.

They loaded their special packages from the cargo hold of the plane into the van with Katsumi taking the wheel and Nene directing her towards their next destination.

In the rear of the van, Mackey noticed Sylia still overly tense. "It really bothers you when I use that power, doesn't it?"

Sylia just looked away. She couldn't argue the point since it was the only way they could quickly get into Tokyo relatively undetected. But her feelings on the matter weren't exactly dictated by logic.

Nene guided the van through the remains of the security checkpoints and off the airport grounds. Shortly thereafter the remains of the Knight Sabers quickly blended into the shadows of Tokyo once more.

* * *

Across the Tokyo skyline, a new, sleek shape commanded over all others. Thrusting upward from the depths of the earthquake ravaged Kanto region, the gigantic cone shaped wedge fortress loomed large over the rest of the mortal inhabitants below. Taking glance to the southwest, the fortress even appeared to mirror, if not dwarf, the revered Mount Fuji itself.

Those inside the fortress had named it 'Neo Genom Tokyo Tower'. Those on the outside simply called it 'The Tower'. Most were awed by its mere presence. Some even marveled in its weight and gravity. However, even more began to gather 'round to catch a glimpse of one person rumored to be an inhabitant to the Tower. But unknown to the gathering crowd below, the subject of their interest wasn't exactly in the tower at the moment. However, there was a related object was leaping up the side of the gigantic structure. However, this object wasn't visible to the naked eye.

The object honed in on the outside entryway to the 165th floor, a small hatch sliding open in response to it's proximity. The object gripped the sides of the rectangular opening, pulling itself into the foyer and allowing the outer hatch to reclose. Once inside, the invisible outline shimmered briefly before resolving into the form of the blue Knight Saber's hardsuit. The hardsuit paused inside, letting the dimming rays of sun sweep shadows across the mostly empty studio as it stood still, focusing on something internal. Finally one armored hand raised up and balled into a fist.

**CLANG**

It slammed sideways hard into the wall leaving an angry mark of frustration on its otherwise pristine surface. The hardsuit's arms reached up and jerked the helmet off, revealing an equally frustrated and angry human exposed to the seemingly empty room.

"Shit!" Priss threw the helmet into the shadows as she swore in disgust, the metal object bouncing and rolling all the way to the far wall. It came to a stop in a visible streak of floor, illuminated by the reflection of the orange sun against one of the walls. But Priss wasn't paying the helmet any attention. Her mind was elsewhere as she maneuvered the hardsuit next to an electrical panel on the wall. Popping the automatic latches on the suit, she gingerly climbed out, her body covered only with a tank top and underwear, bare skin glistening with sweat. She reached for the panel, pulling an electrical cord out. Fixing the cord adapter to the back of the hardsuit, she checked a meter on the panel for a moment. "Three hours," she commented to herself, glancing over at the clock on the desk.

"You're not going back out so soon, are you?" a deep masculine voice startled Priss. She spun around and glared into the shadows towards where the voice had come from.

"Who's there?" she demanded before footsteps crawled through the shadows in her direction. She took one step backwards with her bare feet and instantly felt a cold sense of vulnerability, realizing she was dressed in nothing more than panties and a thin, white tank top. And as long as she had been out in the hardsuit and as much effort as she had been exerting, the cool dry air inside the apartment flowing against her skin gave her a very good indication of just how much of that skin was likely showing through the wet fabric. One hand reflexively covered her breasts as she blushed despite her best efforts to remain calm.

The male voice chuckled as he approached her. "C'mon Priss, it's nothing I haven't seen before," he joked with a calm and yet suggestive voice. Boots and jeans showed themselves just a few moments before the rest of his body transversed into the light.

"Leon, you are a jerk," Priss sighed, relaxing a bit… but not enough to lower her arm.

Shrugging his shoulders, Leon smiled in return. "I've been called worse. Um…" he paused before realizing that Priss was genuinely still embarrassed by his presence… even after recognizing him. "… should I wait outside until you're dressed… or something…" he asked, blushing himself.

Priss sighed. "I was just going to take a shower anyway. Just wait here… wait a minute…" she stopped, her face turning cross. "Just how did you get in here anyway?!"

"Oh, that… yeah. It's kinda… my job now."

"_Your job?"_ Priss' eyebrows rose up an inch before burrowing furiously at that question.

Leon looked away, one hand combing through the back of his short, dark hair. "Yeah, well… I just asked some of the security folks downstairs about seeing you. They ran a background check on me, and when they found out about my police and ADP background… they… well… apparently they were looking for a special security detail for you anyway."

"_I am __**NOT**__ going to like this,"_ Priss grumbled under her breath.

Leon pretended not to notice. "So, they asked if I would be interested in helping with their security arrangements. Y'know, since you told the Inquiry board about your link with Aoede, there's been several … eh… 'fans'… that have tried to get into the Tower," he explained, still facing to the side.

"Like you?" she fired a verbal salvo at him.

"Hey!" he complained, turning briefly to argue before caching an eyeful of Priss and becoming flustered, quickly facing away from her again, "I think you know me better than that."

"Maybe, but I still don't need a goddamn babysitter!" she shot back at him, balling up her fists, both arms stiffening out by her sides in disgust.

"Um, no…" he agreed, flashing a quick peek over his turned shoulder. "… but you might need someone to remind you when you're not dressed," he grinned at her.

Priss face burned red when she realized what he was peeking at, both arms flashing up to cover her chest tightly as she stormed over to the bathroom and quickly took cover behind the door. She stopped just on the other side, closing it enough to cover her body. "Just…" Priss paused on the verge of kicking him out. "… never mind, just don't touch anything, okay?" She slammed the bathroom door shut, leaving a mildly confused Leon in her wake. However, an instant later the door cracked open again. "There's some drinks in the fridge in the bottom of the pantry over there," she nodded in the direction behind Leon on the opposite wall, her tone suddenly less confrontational.

Leon watched Priss disappear into the bathroom and listened as the sound of running water began to patter from underneath the closed door. With a small smile he stepped over to the other door, sliding it open to reveal a thinly stocked pantry. At the bottom was a small refrigerator, which he opened and pulled out a cold can of beer. Popping the top and taking a swig, he let out a contented sigh.

He relaxed enough to take another look around Priss's studio apartment. Considering he had walked in mere moments before the blue hardsuit had surprised him, there were still questions in his mind about why Genom had let her keep the hardsuit and why she was staying with them in the first place. His eyes scanned through the room, taking in the bathroom door, a plain twin sized bed and the hardsuit to the left, a mostly empty desk by the windows, and a table and chairs next to the pantry on the right. However, two folders sitting atop the lone table just a few meters away piqued his curiosity.

Walking over to the table, he pulled out the closer of the two chairs and sat down. Setting the beer down, he inspected the two folders. There were no outward markings giving any hints as to what their contents might have been. Curiosity conquered caution a few moments later as Leon flipped open the top folder. There, he found a grainy, color photo that appeared to be some sort of surveillance picture. It only took him a few seconds of inspecting it to realize what it was showing… and why Priss had the hardsuit and was staying with Genom. The photo also made Leon realize one other thing. "So that's what she's been out looking for the last three days…"

Meanwhile the subject of his thoughts for those three days worked to get the filth of the latest search off her tired body. But even as the dirt and grime easily flowed off her skin and down the drain, Priss found it much more difficult to search for a way to cleanse herself of the internal pain stabbing her heart. That loss was punctuated by the picture in the folder … a picture showing a blade impaling a certain green colored hardsuit. In the picture, the blade created from Aoede's arm held the limp, lifeless Linna like a battle trophy, her armored feet lifted just above the roof of the new Genom Tower, a small pool of blood growing underneath. What the picture didn't show is what Priss had been told afterwards, that data recovered from Aoede's memory indicated that Linna's body had been tossed off the side of the tower.

"_I'll find you. No matter what, I won't rest until I've brought you back,"_ Priss promised through gritted teeth, even as the image burned in the back of her mind pointed all too clearly towards the likely state of Linna's body once she did find the green hardsuit…

* * *

Quincy's tall, artificially chiseled body strode alone into the large chambers concealed in the depths of the Tower. This particular chamber contained several ongoing experiments... human sized cylinders filled with flesh melded with machines, banks of computer processing servers, surgical tables and prototypes inside the dark, cavernous space. But one particular corner drew Quincy's attention as he ignored the cluttering distractions and focused on a single tank containing the exposed body of a young woman... a young woman shaded in a dim greenish glow, flowing blond hair above blank, crimson eyes that focused on nothing. To an uninformed outsider, they might assume the body was of a human female. However, closer inspection of the fist sized hole on the left side of the body's chest revealed mechanical construction underneath it's very human-like skin. But that hole had left an opening for his plan. It was an unintended one, but a hole that he nevertheless was going to take full advantage of now.

At the time, he had thought it an odd place to wake up. Nothing felt as he had remembered, and the sense of shock from realizing that his consciousness had been transferred to a female sotai had been all too sharp. But that was the point where he realized he was still somewhat human… those familiar emotional reactions that he could still feel. The blank spots left behind when Aoede had sacrificed herself had given him the place to recreate his own soul. Once completed, it only took a few more milliseconds to tie in with the rest of the sotai's body and fully realize his rebirth. But even though he had most of his memory intact, he also acquired other memories… those of Aoede… and of Galatea. Those took much longer to process through, but he had time. The phenomena made sure of that.

Coming across the defensive plans still embedded into the sotai's core programming made it relative child's play to fabricate the new tower. And fortunately for Quincy, there had been ample energy left to facilitate accomplishment of that task. Once completed, he was able to sort out the situation. Thus, he knew what he had to do… and whom he could eliminate. Not that he had anything in particular against Linna Yamazaki, however the last vestiges of thought in Aoede's body had been to defend herself against attack from the Green hardsuit, and Quincy was quite willing to go along with the suggestions. But once that threat was eliminated, he realized that he still needed the other hardsuit. More specifically, he needed the pilot of the Blue Hardsuit, Priss Asagiri since she had been the birthplace of Aoede… and in turn the key to reclaiming what he could not control.

The phenomena was a powerful force, a formidable force, but a most destructive force as evidenced by the twice over destruction of Tokyo. It wasn't something to be handled lightly. However, in the right hands, Aoede's ability to control not only metal objects but also humans… well, there was a time in his life that Quincy would have been willing to sell his soul just to be able to influence certain facets of his business environment. But here, almost in the palm of his hands was that very ability. And his dream of a peaceful coexistence between boomers and humans could not only be realized but was a near certainty. The only risk… having that power fall into the wrong hands. And Quincy knew that no one else could handle this power. Because of Galatea, Tokyo had twice been wiped out. And that was only with the ability to manipulate boomers and metal objects. With the power to control human will? No, that wasn't something that could be trusted to just anyone. And Quincy knew, because of his memory fuse with the sotai, that the world was littered with the contamination of the phenomenon. It had to be cleansed. It must be purged. And for that, he would have to tap into that very power himself, the only person alive who could responsibly control it. No longer could this power be left in the hands of mere children as had been the case with Galatea and Aoede… and one other being as Quincy realized.

However, to tap into that power wasn't going to be as easy as he had first thought. Waking up merged in a sotai's body, he quickly found that the ability to manipulate human will had been lost with the loss of Aoede's core. Even after the transfer process from the sotai's body to his previously prepared cyborg one, he was still only able to utilize the mechanical aspects of the phenomenon's control. However, he knew that it was still recoverable. He wasn't certain which path turn out to be the right one. But with Aoede's body still in his possession, and with the birth mother of Aoede also in the fold, he estimated his chances of success as very high. And, in the unlikely event of a setback….well, there was one other path that he knew he could take. And he knew that Priss Asagiri could also be the key for that one too…

Quincy's eyes shifted from the body in the tank to the nest of experiments around it. On one side of the glowing tank was a rail thin man dressed in a typical white lab coat, hunched over a computer workstation at the moment. "Dr Harland?" Quincy boomed.

The Doctor flinched, then peered angrily from around the corner of his glasses. "Do I need to readjust your vocal processors? I find it very unnecessary to startle me while I am attempting to run an analysis, especially an analysis that you ordered just an hour ago," he chided as if talking to just another lackey in the Genom machine. Quincy was quick to remind him he was not.

"Well, to pay for this analysis, perhaps I should adjust your budget to compensate for all the unnecessary expenditures you have accumulated over the years?" he parried.

Harland tossed out a chuckle in the cyborg's direction. "Check," he acknowledged.

The flesh stretched across Quincy's face thinned out into a smile. "At least you still recognize the power structure, my good Doctor."

"Never in question, Chairman," he emphasized with a slight undercut to his voice. "Now, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Certainly you do not expect such a complex analysis to be complete yet… even on **your** accelerated timetables."

"No I do not, Dr. Harland," Quincy affirmed. "However, I do want an update on the status of the seedling."

"Ah, yes!" the thin, wrinkled man beamed. He adjusted his glasses then began shuffling around papers on the workbench in front of him. Pulling out one of the pages, he checked the notes, then glanced at the time display on the console on top of the bench. "It should be ready for inspection now," he announced proudly. "Right this way."

Quincy followed Dr. Harland over to what appeared to be a large blue, casket that was stood upright. At the center of the 'casket' was a smaller heavily fortified door. Quincy watched as the Doctor gripped a large pair of heavy-duty plastic tongs. He released a clasp on the small door and was about to slide it open before casting a glance over at Quincy.

"You might want to stand back a few meters. Just to be safe," he smiled curtly.

The cyborg complied stepping backwards three paces into the open area of the experimental lab.

The doctor slid the door open and reached inside with the tongs. Carefully, he removed a tiny flask containing a miniscule green glowing marble sized object.

Using his enhanced vision, Quincy inspected the object from his safe distance. The object: nothing more than a new sotai anti-seed.

"Excellent my good doctor. I can see you have made significant progress!" the CEO praised, genuinely enthused.

"I am glad you approve. Having a specimen in the state that it is…" he accentuated by glancing over at Aoede's lifeless form, "… was an enormous boost to the research. It certainly filled in many of the questions we still had left unresolved. However, I did want to ask a question. I've heard that the original host body… you are allowing her to roam freely around and outside the Tower."

The cyborg lifted a curious eye. "Yes I have. I see no reason to restrict her movements at the moment. In fact, I'm expecting that her activities will help lure in some other fish I wish to reel in."

"Like that former ADP officer that is watching over her now?"

Quincy chuckled as he realized just how tied in the good doctor was to the rumor mill. "Doctor, I have a saying about allies and enemies. Allies are those you keep close to you. Enemies are those you keep even closer."

Harland gave a snort. "Like Mason?"

A brief flash of annoyance passed over his face before a confident smile replaced it. "How do you believe I had the foresight to move your facilities from the old Genom tower just weeks before the boomer revolution occurred?"

Harland's eyes momentarily widened before returning to their typical respectful stance. "Point taken, as usual." Focusing back on the flask, the doctor continued his evaluation. "The anti-seed is still in the initial stages of generation, however it should be ready for implementation very soon."

"How soon," the cyborg queried eagerly.

"With the reverse process you have outlined, the timeline is not in years or months as Dr. Stingray first encountered," the doctor foreshadowed.

"Yes?" Quincy asked expectantly.

Dr. Harland took his time, carefully placing the flask back in the shielded casket and closing the door. He turned around and faced Quincy with a smirk. "Do you think you can find some free time in your schedule next week?"

The Genom CEO answered with a boisterous laugh that echoed from corner to corner in the cavernous chamber.

* * *

The hot liquid beads peppered her skin, kneading the taught muscles underneath with their relaxing flow. Priss soaked in the calming effects of the shower, not bothering to keep track of how much time she was taking. She took a deep breath, inhaling the steamy air and clearing out the tension in her breath. But even as that tension momentarily faded, her thoughts turned to the source of the tension just on the other side of the door. _… Leon…_

She really shouldn't have been surprised to find him in her new apartment, she realized... although his tendency to show up out of the blue was really beginning to grate on her nerves. Can't he just call and tell me he's coming over? she wished, before remembering that the Navi Linna had bought for her in Kumamoto was as gone as her trailer was, likely crushed under the mammoth tower she was now an inhabitant of.

_…Linna…_

She felt hope fading just as the warming effect of the water began to fade as well, the temperature responding to the dwindling supply of hot water. Priss let out another depressed sigh as she sagged against the shower wall. She turned off the rapidly cooling water and dragged herself out, debating on whether she really wanted to talk with Leon any more. But as she dwelled on it, she realized there was something about his presence that was a small comfort to her, perhaps an artifact from staying at his place during the onset of the boomer plague.

Priss wrapped herself in a towel and opened the door to retrieve some clothes. However, when the door opened what she found didn't comfort her in the least…

_"What the hell are you doing!?!"_

Leon jerked upright in his chair, his head spinning around to find Priss standing in the bathroom doorway glaring at him with violent intentions in her fiery brown eyes. "Um, oh, just taking a look at these…" he tried to explain, quickly closing one of the folders on the table as if he could somehow hide his own prying eyes from her.

"I can see that you moron!" Priss yelled, keeping the towel in place with one arm while shaking her fist at him with the other. "Didn't I tell you not to touch anything!"

"Yeah, but that was before you told me to get a drink. I figured you had changed your mind," Leon tried to reason.

Priss was in no mood for reason. "Dammit Leon, can't you leave me alone for just a few minutes!" Her voice cracked slightly, desperation sifting through her resolve as she pulled at wet strands of her hair.

Leon was taken aback, even if he did understand a bit of the reason. "Listen, I'm sorry for snooping, but they were just left on the table…"

"In my goddamn room that you never asked me for permission to enter in the first place!" she bitingly corrected for him.

"Yeah, well…" he stood up, realizing he had likely pushed his luck with Priss too far this time.

"Well nothing! When I told you I needed some space to think a few days ago, that didn't mean stalking me at the club! And that certainly didn't mean for you to volunteer to be my babysitter and to break into my apartment!" Priss' face was shining red, the water seemingly boiling off her red-hot skin.

"Um, that's bodyguard… officially… and, I have a key to the room here. It's part of my new duties…" Leon pulled out the special card key from his jacket that was made for him to gain entry into Priss' Genom Tower apartment as if to try and prove his right to be there.

Priss wasn't interested in those details as she stomped up to him and grabbed for the key. "Give me that damn thing now and get the hell out!" she ordered obstinately.

But Leon had other thoughts. "I'm not done talking with you yet," he said calmly, raising his arm up high over his head… and well out of Priss' much shorter reach.

Priss tried to snatch the key with her free hand anyway, stretching on her toes while stubbornly holding onto the towel wrapped around her body. "Dammit Leon, your pissing me off!"

Leon chose that moment to make his move. He grabbed the wrist of Priss' reaching arm and firmly brought it down, twisting it around until Priss was forced to sit into the chair he had just vacated.

Even after being forcibly placed in the chair, Priss continued to struggle. But her efforts were in vain, her strength was no match for Leon's outside of her hardsuit. She finally stopped the moment he leaned down in front of her and held out the key card in between them.

Leon flipped the card on edge so Priss could see into his eyes and understand the message he had to try and convey. "Priss, listen. I have to do this. I know you wanted your space, but after you testified for Genom, everything changed. If I don't act as your bodyguard, Genom will get someone else to do it. And they'll be acting on Genom's behalf, not yours. Priss, you know me. You know I'm on your side. No matter what else happens, no matter what you may have said about Sylia or anyone else, I'll always watch your back."

As he spoke, the fire died down in Priss eyes, reason and understanding apparently replacing frustration and anger.

"Priss, as long as you're here in the Tower, you need someone you can count on. Let me be that person." He released his grip on Priss' wrist and stood up again, walking towards the door. "I went ahead and got your clothes out and ready. They're on top of the desk. I think I still remember what was most comfortable for you when you stayed at my apartment. I figured you could use a little comfort right now, especially while you're still… looking for Linna," he added with a pause, however his voice still managed to come across sincerely, if not a bit forced.

"… leon…"

"I'll just be outside while you change. If you want to let me back in, just let me know. If not, in a half hour I'll go back to my own place here in the Tower." And with that, he stood up and walked over to the door. Placing his hand over the controller to the side, it slid open. Leon gave Priss a smile as he walked through the doorway and into the corridor.

After the door closed, Priss' shoulders slumped. Placing a free hand over her chest, she felt the thumping of her heart through the thick towel still wrapped around her body. Her eyes wandered over to the table and to the grainy picture of Linna still visible in the opened folder. Her fingers wandered to the picture, tracing the outline of the green hardsuit for a time. But with another sigh she closed the folder, finally hiding the picture from her tortured eyes. She glanced over at the desk noting the time, and then her hardsuit. After a few more moments, the adrenaline from her fight with Leon began to wane leaving Priss all too aware of the lack of sleep she had caused by her nearly nonstop search.

Stifling a yawn, she stood and let the towel slip to the ground, dressed herself and then collapsed onto the bed. She hadn't been able to get much sleep because of the search, but she didn't exactly feel comfortable sleeping in a Genom building either. However, with Leon close by, her body was able to relax just a bit… and that was enough to tip the scales in rest's favor. The effect was so quick that Priss was asleep moments after her head hit the pillow.

A few minutes later, soft hissing of a door sliding open briefly masked the sound of snoring. Leon peeked inside and confirmed his suspicions. "Good. At least you'll get some rest now," he whispered to the air in the room with a smile. He considered pulling a blanket over Priss, but decided that was a little too risky given her earlier attitude towards him. Instead Leon retreated into the hallway, closed the door and headed towards his own new apartment towards the interior of the 165th floor.

* * *

_World News Network, headlines for today, Sunday, July 19th, 2041. There are still shockwaves rolling across the world from the claims of Genom CEO Quincy Rosencreutz. Millions of fans are in mourning over the apparent death of Aoede, the Goddess of Sound, while millions more are still searching for clues to the truth. At the heart of their disbelief is Genom's assertion that Aoede was simply one of their own boomers gone rogue. Additional speculation continues to swirl around the role of the vigilante group known as the Knight Sabers. Sylia Stingray stands accused of numerous crimes against humanity, however fans of Aoede want to know what her relationship to Aoede really was, since Genom's assertion that Sylia was essentially the 'mother' of boomer technology. But some fans are pointing strongly at another member of the armored female warriors. Priss Asagiri, former lead singer of the underground Tokyo rock group As Sekiria and chief witness to the crimes that Stingray is now accused, is suspected of having closer ties to Aoede than have been revealed thus far. Websites are sprouting all over the internet showing comparison clips of Aoede and As Sekiria in concert. One website in particular has footage of one of Aoede's first concerts showing the Goddess of Sound performing an As Sekiria song. In other related news, as more light is shed onto the Knight Sabers, further speculation is running rampant about the identity of the other two female members and their possible whereabouts …_

_click_

The television screen was darkened in response to the power button being depressed by the female hand. The dark skinned blond woman carefully set the remote down next to the TV, its rectangular shape settling in place on the edge of the dresser. Her hands rested on her lap, fists clinched nearly as tightly as her teeth currently were. Behind her, there was a click of a door handle. A tall, muscular man stepped into the small bedroom.

"Lisa, guess I was wrong. I think she's actually waking up. And here I thought she was dead…"

The top dresser drawer was jerked open before the man had even finished speaking. The woman's hand flew into the drawer and pulled out a small caliber handgun. She literally leapt over the bed, past him and through the door in only two steps. Bursting into the adjacent bedroom, Lisa held the gun up as she managed to stop just on the other side of the doorway, assessing the condition of the green armored suit lying face up on the twin sized bed. She held her breath, looking and listening for the signs that her hired help had mentioned.

Sure enough, soft moaning could be faintly heard emanating from the closed helmet. Metal fingers twitched slightly, causing Lisa to nervously reinspect the metal chains the used to bind the hardsuit's arms and legs to the bed frame. Her eye wandered to the center of the hardsuit, and the strangely deformed vertical slit just offset to the left of center of this beast… and the blood red streaks dried onto the otherwise translucent section.

A louder groan filtered through the helmet as the hardsuit's arms suddenly jerked its hands upward, apparently attempting to cover the deformed midsection.

"Oh no you don't!" Lisa screamed, leaping up onto the bed. She straddled the hardsuit's chest and pointed the gun directly at the head of the hardsuit.

The hardsuit stopped its struggles, the orange visor staring up into the blond woman's face.

"Listen to me goddamnit! I want answers and I want them now!"

The green hardsuit appeared to listen intently.

"I know… I know that you are Linna Yamazaki, one of the Knight Sabers. It's been all over the news, what you did and how you caused the boomer plague in Tokyo. And I know… I know you were with her in Tokyo. You were with Ginger Vanette when she died. And I also know the green hardsuit was there too. So… goddamnit… answer me. Tell me what the hell happened! WHY DID YOU KILL MY SISTER!!!"

Fury rampaged through her veins as emotions tucked away for nearly a year boiled over. The small barrel of the gun shook violently as Lisa continued to point it at the orange visor.

"Lisa, I really don't think you're gonna get any answers out of her like that," the man spoke evenly from the doorway.

"Just shut up Bean. Shut the HELL up and LEAVE!" she continued to scream.

"Okay, fine. Have it your way," he answered coolly but defensively, putting his hands up in mock surrender before turning around and walking out. But before he closed the door, he tossed out a small bit of advice. "Before you shoot, you'll want to think about the fact that those bargain basement bullets will just bounce off the armor. You'll kill yourself before you'll even put a scratch on it."

The door closed as Lisa's face shone bright red… even as she continued to point the nearly useless weapon at the green hardsuit. Beneath her legs, she suddenly felt the hardsuit's arms attempt to lift up again. "Hey! Hey, stop that!"

But the arms continued to move up and inward until the chains holding them down were pulled tight.

Lisa nervously watched the chain as it began to pull and stretch under the strain of the hardsuits's movements. Defensively she slid backwards from the arms even as she reached out with the gun, shoving it closer to the orange visor's cool metal surface. "I s… said… stop it!" she ordered, her voice wavering badly.

The hardsuit responded to her command by opening the visor, revealing tear soaked cheeks framing distraught pale violet eyes.

Lisa's own eyes flared in shock at the unexpected human element revealed to her. Distracted, she jumped when the chain snapped underneath her. Her eyes flashed between the human face and the freed powered arms now slowly moving towards the shaking gun. And somewhere, deep in Lisa's conscious, she couldn't find the willpower to act. No matter how brave and tough she had tried to be for the last year, searching for the truth to her sister's murder, it all seemed to dissolve in the tidal wave of emotions pouring from the very real face of Linna Yamazaki.

Lisa jerked again when both hands of the hardsuit clamped tightly on the gun still pointing at Linna's face. Her hand was trapped. She panicked when she realized she couldn't reach the trigger to pull it now even if she wanted. And that knowledge shot needles of terror into her soul.

Beneath her, she could feel the shallow ragged breathing of the woman in the hardsuit. And even more tears ran down the sides of her pale cheeks. "Go ahead… its my fault," a dry raspy voice cracked from Linna's worn lips.

"… wh… what?…"

"Ginger… she died because of me… I tried to protect her… that boomer… in the tunnel… I let her go straight into the mouth of that hell…" Linna's armored fingers gripped the gun tightly. One metallic thumb moved over the trigger even as she pulled the barrel closer to her forehead.

"… what… what are you doing? What are you saying? I… I don't understand…"

"It's my fault."

"Wait!"

"… my fault…"

"WAIT!!!"

The door flew open as Lisa's screaming voice finally attracted Bean's attention from the other room. He saw the gun held by the hardsuit's arms and immediately leapt at the bed.

A single pop preceded a brief flash from the muzzle of the gun, illuminating the walls with shadows of the three inhabitants of the room. However, the resulting sound of the metallic gun rattling down the side of the bed frame was muffled to the three people in the room, the proximity of the gunshot's noise temporarily deafening them. However, Bean exhaled as soon as he realized he had only heard the one shot. His one handed strike at the gun had just been in time. He had managed to knock the gun from the hardsuit's and Lisa's hands just in time.

Lisa's eyes were the size of saucers, staring at the hole in the mattress just to the side of the hardsuit's helmet. After a few moments, she blinked, then slid her vision onto the face in the hardsuit.

Linna's eyes were fountains, tears streaming down both sides of her face. "I can't… I can't go on…" she mumbled, her body shaking inside her nearly powerless hardsuit, arms having fallen lifelessly back to the bed at her sides.

Lisa's eyes teared up as well. "Damnit! What the hell were you thinking!"

"Maybe that you wanted to kill her?" Bean offered sarcastically as he stood upright.

Furious eyes glared back at him. "I just wanted to know what happened to my sister!!!"

"Then maybe you should have just asked instead of insisting on chaining her to the bed and shoving a gun in her face?"

"Well… well you didn't try and stop me either!"

"Wouldn't have mattered if I'd tried. You don't listen to anything I have to say anyway," he huffed, crossing his arms in front of his barrel chest.

"Hey!" Lisa complained, before a loud groan from the woman in the hardsuit below her drew both Lisa and Bean's attention back to the bed.

"Unggg… w… what's happening?" Linna cried, her arms suddenly jerking spastically… or so the two other humans in the room thought… until a metal spike shot out from one of the arms and buried itself into an electrical outlet by the bed.

Instantly sparks flew out of the outlet and the smell of burning wiring filled the air. The lights flickered and dimmed and the hum of electricity grew louder.

"Ouch!" Lisa jumped off the bed as a shock pricked her legs from the metal hardsuit.

Bean grabbed the back of her shirt collar. "We need to go… now!" he warned.

"Go? Go??? I still have to find out about my sister!" she wailed. But a scream from the bed cut off her complaints.

The human shaped hardsuit liquefied, then exploded out in every direction in the room, filling the space with its metal bulk. Bean blew through the door and out the next room just in time… with Lisa literally flying through the air like a kite behind him, still held firmly in his grip.

Lisa's screaming told Bean what he needed to know… his meal ticket was still alive. And right now that was his only concern.

"It's coming!' she screamed again, as Bean glanced back to see the Green monstrosity that had been in the room blasting thorough the doorway of their hideaway, it's growing size more than filling the hallway. It still appeared to have four appendages, although it was using all four of them as legs at the moment, metal claws ripping indiscriminately into floors, walls and the ceiling to gain traction.

"What the hell is it??? Lisa cried, as she had the unfortunate pleasure of having the view behind them.

Bean broke hard to the left and flew down three flights of stairs. "Never seen a live rogue boomer before?"

"Rogue boomer??? But, wasn't it a hardsuit?"

"Apparently it's both," he finished just as he hit the bottom of the stairs and tore for the outside door. Not bothering with the doorknob, the hardened wood door exploded as Bean lowered a shoulder into it, not bothering to slow down at all… and nearly causing Lisa to faint from the experience. But Bean wasn't ready to celebrate just yet as metallic echoes grew very loud very fast, a precursor of the rogue hardsuit barreling through the smashed doorway.

Bean had already taken off down the street and towards his car in the evening twilight, and it took a few precious moments for the boomer to spot them and give chase. It was just enough time.

Hitting the remote opener, Bean literally threw Lisa into the back of his red Porsche while he leapt into the drivers seat. Tires squealed as the green tinted monstrosity appeared in his rear view mirror. Bean kept one eye on the boomer and the other on the rapidly approaching end of the alley. He jammed the gears on the car as it spun sideways into the main road. Flooring the accelerator, the engine roared in response as a cloud of white smoke filled the street behind them.

Lisa peeked over the top of the back seat just in time to see the inhuman beast tear a hole through the cloud as it let out a roar of its own. Her eyes went wide as she realized just how fast it was running on four legs. "It… it's still there! It's catching up!!!" she screamed. Suddenly Lisa was thrown to the side as the car made another sharp turn.

"Lets see if it can keep up with us on the highway then," Bean growled out, turning both eyes on the road up ahead as the engine screamed ever higher in pitch.

Despite what felt like a mild concussion, Lisa sensed an almost eager tone to his voice. It made her wonder if picking him to help her find Yamazaki hadn't been a worse decision than pointing a mini-pistol at a boomer. She glanced into the rear view mirror and saw a feral grin strung on his face. "… oh god…" she moaned, before her eyes panned around to nervously spy their pursuer. There was just one problem…

"It's not there?"

"Wha… SHIT!!!" The tires of the Porsche screeched as Bean locked the brakes up in response to the green monster dropping from the sky directly in front of them, blocking the onramp to the highway exit. Lisa flew over the back seat, flipped over and slammed her back into the dashboard gurgling up a groan in the process. She didn't get a chance to recover as she was suddenly thrown into Bean as the car sped impossibly sideways to the right.

Bean's hands were flying over the shifter and dashboard while struggling to steer the car around the lone green boomer and into the road underneath the Tokyo expressway… all while craning his neck around the flailing skinny legs of Lisa Vanette.

The sound of screeching metal ripped through the back of the car, snapping Lisa back to reality. Bean caught a glimpse of one of the boomers metal claws full of red metal in his side mirror as it began to give chase once more. Lisa managed to plop herself over to the passenger seat and immediately fastened the seatbelt and triple tightened it just to be safe. Despite the seatbelt her stomach lurched in her throat as the Porsche bounced around the rough roadway underneath the highway. She caught a green flash out of the corner of her eye only to find a green claw snapping at her head. She screamed and ducked as the claw bounced harmlessly off the glass. The fact that she wasn't immediately showered with broken glass made Lisa realize the window was much stronger than it looked... and for that fact she was very grateful.

Bean swerved away from the boomer and around a large supporting pylon of the highway above. But when he emerged around the pylon the green monstrosity had disappeared again. The red Porsche continued to bounce and sway down the rough road as Bean had to swerve around uncleared wreckage from the boomer plague… one of the hazards of hiding out in an area of Tokyo that hadn't been targeted for recovery just yet. Just ahead two burned out cars flanked either side of the road leaving a narrow path that Bean wasn't quite sure he could squeeze through.

"No No NO!!!" Lisa screamed as the car sped towards the crevice, convinced that they weren't going to make it. She tensed up, eyes slamming shut in fear. But her ears heard the echo of the engine as they sailed through the gap with just millimeters to spare on either side.

That was when the green blur on the underside of the elevated highway above them caught Bean's eye.

The rogue demon shot from the concrete beams and landed just in front of the Porsche again. And again, Bean slammed hard on the brakes while swerving.

Lisa's breath was sucked from her body while the car shot away from the boomer and into a side alley. She was just able to grab another breath when her eyes focused on the dead end suddenly blocking their path. "Bean!"

"I know," he growled as the car skidded to a halt just meters before the brick wall in front of them. Jerking his head around, Bean threw the car into reverse and hit the gas… until the crunching sound of metal in a vice coupled with a sickening lifting feeling stopped their momentum.

"Lisa! JUMP!" was the last thing she heard before the car was fully lifted high into the air and literally thrown into the alley wall. Bricks, glass, metal and darkness all shattered around her in that instant, her world turned upside down and inside out.

Crunching noises brought awareness back to the stunned girl as Lisa rolled onto her back and stared up into the last vestiges of twilight exiting the day lit sky. A warm sticky sensation pricked at the right side of her face. She tried to bring her right hand up to feel it but a sharp spike of pain in her arm quickly cut off those thoughts. Her left arm seemed more functional as she touched her face and tried to focus on fingers that were shaking much harder than she could ever remember. She had a faint thought of clarity as the thick blood dripped from her fingertips and onto her neck. It was clear she was in a world of trouble. Then she heard the inhuman roar.

The green boomer now stood tall on two animalistic legs, jagged claws jutted from either side of bubbling massive shoulders. The roar itself emanated from the dragon-like orange head, devilish horns craning over burning ember eyes and rows of razor sharp teeth.

Despite her injuries, Lisa scurried backwards with one good leg and arm to try and escape the rogue monstrosity even as it stalked closer to her from its perch in the middle of the alley. Lisa's back hit something behind her and she turned to find a mass of debris blocking her path. In the narrow alley, there was only one way out… and the boomer had that path claimed as its own. She suddenly remembered her escort and tried to spot Bean. But if he was anywhere, it was likely under the rubble of the wall and car that her back was against. Her frightened eyes glazed over when the large shadow passed overhead. Lisa had one last thought.

_I wonder if this is how Ginger felt when she died…_

* * *

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: Goodness, where to start! First with the fic. Some readers are probably still shaking their heads. I know, I know I'm still being relentlessly hard on the characters. Believe it or not I feel the same way. All I can promise is that its in my head and I'll see what changes that drives going forwards.

Also with this chapter, you might recognize a couple of the 'new' characters. Lisa Vanette (of Scoop Chase fame) was an easy choice. That'll be shown a bit in the next chapter… assuming she lives, of course. The other is none other than Bean Bandit (of Riding Bean and Gunsmith Cats fame). That one really came to me from left field. I'm not big on throwing random anime xovers together, but in this case Bean made too much sense to be left out. And yes, you'll see more of why in the next chapter as well… assuming he lives too, of course. XP

Well it's been two months since my last chapter posting. Since that time it seems the Bubblegum Crisis world was turned upside down. AIC announced a live action BGC movie in the works for a 2011 release and possibly more BGC animation as well. I would guess a few more fanfic writers might take up BGC if that actually goes through. Also if you recall a certain song from a couple of chapters ago, I'm a big Nanase Aikawa fan. And she's coming out with a new album on Feb 18th called "Reborn". I might just have to work in one of those song titles into my upcoming chapters too. :)

Last but certainly not least, one of the main reasons I started writing this fic at all is because of P. Kristen's Post 2040 series. If you haven't read it yet (and you've read my fic all the way to here) then I IMPLORE you to go pick up her Post 2040 story. If you have and you're thinking "but she's done writing it"… well, you would be just a bit wrong. She is planning on doing some more stuff with Post 2040 (blame Sylia if you must ^_^) and might even have something out by the end of this year.

This is probably my last chapter for the year but I will be working Ch 27 over xmas break and vacation. Please keep the comments and feedback coming! It's much appreciated and lets me know where I can improve the story before it gets too far out of whack for those of us with weak hearts. But its hard to concentrate when there's so much to look forward to in 2009 and beyond. So yeah, I'm smiling all over the place right now. ^_________^

Till next time!

~Analog~


	28. Ch 27: What Have You Done?

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 27 – "What Have You Done"

* * *

Her arms and legs flailed in a crazed fashion. Then something hit her hard in the shoulder…

Priss shouted out as she crashed on the floor next to her bed. It took a few more moments but clarity quickly overcame confusion as her panicked eyes nervously scanned around and recognized the inside of her Genom Tower suite. She sucked in a deep breath and let out a relieved sigh. "Only a dream," she realized. But, for some reason, that terrifying roar had seemed so real to her at the time.

That scream. She couldn't shake that bone rattling scream… and that a rogue boomer had produced it. She picked herself up from the floor and sat back on the bed placing one hand over her chest. Her heart was still pounding furiously, and something in the back of her mind was still bothering her. It took a few more moments for Priss to realize that the thing bothering her wasn't just mental in nature, but had a definite physical component to it. And that something in the back of her head was buzzing relentlessly. Her eyes suddenly doubled in size as recognition of that buzzing finally dawned on her. Another moment of focusing internally on it confirmed her suspicions…

"Linna!"

The shirt and pants Leon had picket out were stripped off and sent flying across the room. Priss dove into her partially charged hardsuit and launched herself through the outer hatch of her suite the moment the opening was wide enough, scraping the side of the hatch on the way out, leaving one of the edges lined with blue metallic paint.

Lisa Vanette screamed as a metal claw swung down towards her prone body. Reflexively closing her eyes, she was surprised when the end she was expecting didn't come right away. A human sounding grunt pried her eyes open to the sight of the back of a very large and familiar black jacket. "Bean!"

The tall man was struggling mightily with a steel beam in his hands. He was gripping the beam with both arms just to hold back the single claw attack. But the rogue boomer had more than just one claw to attack with… which swiftly rose up with sickening speed and slashed across the front of the overpowered human.

Lisa felt warm splatters across her face as Bean was violently slammed sideways and into the brick wall to her right, causing the lower part of the structure to crumble and collapse on top of him. She didn't need to touch her face to recognize the blood this time, though her stomach lurched in response anyway. Another roar before her shattered the remnants of her sanity and Lisa screamed. The boomer screamed in return, raised up in preparation to finish the fight… then froze in place.

Lisa stared at the frozen boomer for a few moments before it took a couple of backwards stagger steps. The mouth of the boomer opened wide and sunk down, revealing the strained face of the still conscious and alive Linna Yamazaki… although coated in sweat and blood. The boomer lurched forward, toppling onto its chest as the two front claws shrank down into forms vaguely resembling the hardsuit's arms and hands.

"I… I won't…" Linna stammered, her face torn with concentration. "… won't let it get you… this time… run… Ginger… hurry run!" Linna screamed, mustering the remains of her strength.

But Lisa hesitated, stunned both by Linna's resolve and the mention of her late sister… She stared into the glazed over pale-violet eyes, straining to stay open even while the boomer's mass continued to pulse and flow. Suddenly Linna choked and coughed up blood as the green mass flowed outward again. "No!" she cried through gritted teeth.

Lisa tried to stand, balancing against the relatively intact wall opposite from Bean as she slowly limped past the boomer. She could still hear Linna's struggles though, catching a brief glimpse while willing her bad leg to keep her moving away from the rogue monstrosity. It was all she could do to lift up the heel of her foot and drag it in front of her. But after a few steps and staggers, her balanced failed as her foot hit a brick from one of the collapsed walls. Lisa hit the ground hard, unable to brace herself because of her bad arm. Another wave of nausea swelled up just after the shock of more damage to her frail body crashed home.

Lisa curled up and held onto her bad arm. Blinking back tears of pain, she nervously peered over at the green demon, sure it was over for her. She just didn't have the energy to run anymore.

Expecting to see the boomer rising up from the ground again, instead Lisa saw the monstrosity shrinking even further in size. Holding herself up with the hardsuit's formed arms, Linna slowly regained focus and control over the rampaging hardsuit, torso and legs taking shape inch by inch. But the puddle of blood and tears below her showed that the strain was taking its toll on her body.

Finally with one last grunt, the gleaming metal smoothed out into the precise female form that Lisa and Bean had first found at the base of the newly formed Genom Tower.

But as soon as the hardsuit was whole, its arms shuddered and collapsed, falling over to its side.

Lisa jumped when the metal clanged and echoed through the ruined alleyway. But after a few moments of motionless silence, she exhaled again. However, her fear turned to worry and concern about the human inside the hardsuit. "…linna …linna…" she faintly called out to the equally motionless pilot of the hardsuit. There was no response from either the hardsuit or the human within.

The injured woman cautiously shifted her body towards Linna, then with slow pained stretches of her good arm and leg, inched her way over to the green hardsuit. Linna's head lay still at a sharp angle to the ground, her neck bent over from the bulk of the hardsuit. Lisa willed herself to sit upright, carefully folding her legs under her. She touched Linna's face gently, then slid her legs underneath the silent Knight Saber, resting the brown haired head on her lap. Carefully, Lisa brushed a sticky lock of that hair from Linna's face and took her first good 'in-person' look at the face she had studied for the last few days.

* * *

Lisa Vanette had taken the news of her sister's death extremely hard. Still living at her parents' house in California, she hadn't stayed in touch with Ginger as well as she would have liked. But she knew her older sibling was too much of a free spirit to be held down for long. That was a big part of why she admired her sister as much as she did. Ginger wasn't afraid to stay in the Netherlands even when her parents relocated to the United States, setting off on her own to get her degree and make a life for herself. She also wasn't afraid to admit to being an open lesbian to her family or friends. Lisa didn't quite understand why her sister was 'different' in that way, but it never bothered her because Ginger never kept secrets from her younger sibling.

It wasn't as much of a secret that Ginger had taken some time to spend in Japan as an exchange student as she was just too busy with life to keep her family, and Lisa, in the loop. So when the Amsterdam University exchange program head called her parents in early August 2040, they hadn't expected the news of their daughter's disappearance in Tokyo. But the moment she heard her sister was missing, Lisa couldn't stop watching anything and everything she could find out about the events in Tokyo. Mysterious boomer incidents, the Showhamm project, Genom, the boomer plague, the AD Police and even the shadowy vigilantes, the Knight Sabers… all of them a huge puzzle that led to speculation far and wide as to what might have really happened to Ginger. Then, a few days later getting the news they had feared… Ginger was dead.

Her body was one of many found at the site of a particularly gory battle. Tales of huge boomers erupting from the tunnels beneath Tokyo filled underground social media sites around the world. Purported pictures of the boomers littered the internet. Lisa didn't know what to believe, as some of the images appeared more like old Godzilla costumes stomping over cardboard landscapes than real life. However, a few pictures emerged of a green hardsuit fighting in the battle. And as Lisa searched more and more on the hardsuit, she learned of a group of vigilantes rumored to be named the Knight Sabers. Additional messages from the police force created to deal with rogue boomers, the AD Police, seemed to confirm the existence of the group as well as somehow connect them to the boomer plague itself.

With more questions than answers, Lisa sought out help in getting some of those questions answered. Her search led her to some strange clues in Chicago and a courier/bodyguard named Bean Bandit. Further evidence led both of them to Japan in search of more direct evidence. And in the midst of tracking down remains of Genom and perhaps the Knight Sabers, word broke of a huge announcement regarding the boomer plague and an even larger monument to the wrought power of the boomer phenomenon. Just minutes after watching a woman named Priss Asagiri implicate the Knight Sabers as part of the cause for the boomer plague in Tokyo, Lisa found out who one of the other members of the group was… the one wearing the green hardsuit.

Thus, Lisa had dragged Bean into Tokyo and around the offices of Hugh Geit to try and dig up more clues about this Linna Yamazaki person. Once she positively identified Priss Asagiri as a Knight Saber, it had been easy to link Linna Yamazaki as another one of the Knight Sabers. And it was with a mixture of elation and revulsion that she had found a link between Linna and Ginger… just as the boomer plague erupted in the streets of Tokyo. But while still in Tokyo searching for more clues about the identity of this person and what they had been doing that fateful night at the dance club, the last thing in the world she expected to find was exactly what she was looking for… still in the green hardsuit, lying deathly still near the base of the newly formed Genom Tower in central Tokyo.

* * *

A twitch shot pain into her injured leg, still folded up underneath herself and also under Linna's head. Suddenly brought back to the present, Lisa took a nervous glance around at the alleyway, allowing her to realize just how much of a mess she was in. It was littered with crumbling remains of the buildings, along with Bean's wrecked car… nevermind the fact that Bean was buried under the rubble somewhere himself. Worry and dread flared in her conscious as the full weight of the situation bore down on her.

Another twitch beneath her sparked a new fear as her eyes focused back to Linna. And much to her horror, it wasn't the human that was beginning to stir. The back of the hardsuit dulled, then rippled slightly.

Tears welled up in Lisa's eyes. "… linna… linna… please… please wake up…" she begged the stranger she had all but wanted dead just a few short minutes ago. But even as she patted the side of Linna's cheek trying to get some response from the unconscious woman, the only effect her actions actually had was to stir up further motion on the surface of the corrupted hardsuit. Her eyes turned towards the only other possible source for help… the collapsed pile of rubble her bodyguard had crashed into after getting attacked by the rogue boomer.

"Bean… Bean!" Lisa cried, hoping beyond hope that he would still somehow be able to help despite the fact that he was more likely dead than anything else at this point. A few crumbled bricks tumbled down the pile, giving Lisa a momentary ray of hope. "Bean! Can you hear me?"

Amazingly, impossibly, more bricks rolled off the pile as one small section began to rise up… and finally dusty, black, bloodied hair stuck out from the pile.

"Unnng, someone get… the license plate off that truck…?" he groaned out, even with a grin plastered on his face.

Lisa cracked a stressful smile before more movement at her legs caused her to start to move away from the hardsuit, dropping Linna's head roughly onto the hard ground. "Bean… the hardsuit is going rogue again!"

"… a… again?" he coughed while dragging his battered body out of the rubble.

Bean had no sooner than extracted himself completely when the hardsuit reacted by spikes shooting out of each arm and leg, its humanoid shape beginning to rapidly mutate once more.

"Lisa run!" Bean ordered, hoping that somehow the young woman would be able to comply.

But Lisa wasn't even able to stand up anymore. Her left leg was numb and sore and bruised… and that was the good one. Her right leg was only dead weight to the rest of her body. However, she was too tired to even cry, flinch or look away anymore. Thus she only stared into the mutating beast as it began to liquefy before her eyes. But she finally had to cover her eyes with her one good arm from what happened next….

Incoming screams of rockets coupled with bright flashes blasted into the alley from the skies above and behind them. And as soon as the lights dimmed, Lisa peered from behind her arm to a very ominous sight.

Several figures had positioned themselves around the formerly mutating object. It only took another instant for Lisa to recognize most of them. "Knight Sabers!"

But their attention was not focused on the blond girl behind them in the alley. Rather, it seemed that three of the hardsuits focused on the green one still lying on its side on the ground. But whatever forces had caused it to go rogue were now in check. And it seemed to coincide with the presence of a dark figure kneeling beside the hardsuit, one glowing orange hand placed calmly on its shoulder.

However, most curious was the fact that two more hardsuits seemed to be facing each other at the far end of the alley… and they didn't appear to be exchanging pleasantries from what Lisa could tell.

"Mackey, is Linna okay?" one of the two red hardsuits spoke up.

"She's hurt, but alive. I've calmed the hardsuit for now, but we need to get her someplace safe so we can treat her," the dark figure cloaked in a black trench coat spoke from beside the fallen green Knight Saber.

"Linna! Let me by dammit!" the blue hardsuit screamed at the end of the alley.

However, the silver hardsuit blocking her path didn't appear to be relenting… especially considering the shining blade thrust out from one of its arms that was floating just inches away from the neck of the blue hardsuit. "I don't think so Priss. I'm not going to let you anywhere near her… or anyone else for that matter!"

"Sylia! You selfish bitch! First you lie to me about everything when I'm trying to help you and then you won't get out of my way when I'm trying to help someone else!" the blue hardsuit cried, trying to lunge around the silver hardsuit.

Sylia put a quick end to that attempt by slamming a shoulder into the blue hardsuit, pinning it roughly against a pile of rubble and thrusting the blade so close to the other hardsuit's neck that small drops of crimson formed on the edge. "You of all people should understand why I did what I did."

But Priss was done talking. She cocked her right arm back, knucklebomb charged up.

Sylia tensed her right arm, preparing to do what needed to be done to protect the rest of the Knight Sabers from the one that had apparently gone mentally rogue.

"Priss! Sylia! What are you doing! We need to help Linna, not fight each other!" the red hardsuit yelled out from the opposite end of the alley.

"Priss can help by getting the hell out of here," Sylia replied coldly, never taking her eyes from the suit in her crosshairs.

Even as the other Sabers fought among themselves, two others converged on Linna's spot in the center of the rubble filled alley. "Mackey, what happened to her?" Katsumi asked worriedly as the armored Jill kneeled down beside him to take a closer look for herself.

"I'm not sure, but the hardsuit was definitely … agitated," he replied.

Jill's helmet pivoted towards him, her quizzical expression hidden by the visor. "Agitated?"

"Yes. Not quite rogue, at least not at that moment."

Jill huffed in response. "Just wonderful. And what about now?"

"Well, it is…" Mackey began to reply before he froze in place.

"Mackey… Mackey!" Katsumi yelled out, reaching out with her armored hand to touch the male sotai on the shoulder. But a sudden mental jolt reflexively pulled her arm back, her hardsuit taking two steps backward.

"Kat, what's…" Jill began to speak before that same mental alert told her what she wanted to know.

Across the alley, Sylia inched her blade away from Priss as her attention was pulled towards her brother.

However, Priss was in no condition to take advantage of the situation. The mental pulse that was affecting the other sabers was having a much more dramatic effect through her consciousness. And even though her field of vision was full of Sylia's silver hardsuit, the image that was shining clear for her was much different. The blade of a black hardsuit was thrust directly into her body, hoisting her up in the air, blood flowing down the shining blade. The eyes of the helmetless black hardsuit flashed a crimson shade, willing the green arms of her hardsuit to pull on the blade, further impaling her body fully through the saber. Her insides scorched with agonizing pain, blinking once, twice, then momentarily focusing on the motionless blue hardsuit off to the side as the black hardsuit carried her body off to the edge of the roof, then being flung off the side and then falling… falling… falling….

The distant wail of sirens finally snapped Priss back to reality, where she found Sylia was no longer blocking her path. Her head instantly flashed towards the source of those images and saw a green hardsuit held in the arms of a different red one. "Linna!" she cried out, her arm attempting to stretch out towards her friend. But her hardsuit wasn't able to comply as well as she wanted it to, the weight of the armor pulling her arm dead to her side. "… no… not now…" she growled, finding the power meters confirming what her body already knew. Her hardsuit hadn't had enough time to charge since her last search. Priss's armor was dead.

She could only watch helplessly as the group of powered suits blasted off into the sky, disappearing behind the empty buildings climbing towards the sky. "… dammit… dammit… dammit…" she swore, shaking her head back and forth. She clinched her fists through the drained armor, cocked her head back, screaming at the retreating Sabers. "LIINNNAAAA!"

To be continued…


	29. Ch 28: I'm Gonna Scream

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 28 – "I'm Gonna Scream"

* * *

_~MegaTokyo, Japan~ _

"Almost like old times," Leon smirked to himself from the restored ADP patrol car as it flew down the mostly deserted streets of MegaTokyo. Turning the last corner, he pulled up to the destroyed alleyway in the cruiser just as the flash of hardsuit thrusters exiting the scene died down. Leon's hand was on the gear shift, ready to give chase until a tinge of Blue out of the corner of his eye stopped him cold. He shot out of the newly repurposed Genom security car, the air of familiarity quickly evaporating at the sight of the blue hardsuit slumped against one of the remaining intact walls. "Priss!" he yelled out, running past an injured blond haired girl, a more severely injured male and nearly stumbling over the rubble strewn across the street.

"Priss! Priss, are you okay?" Leon nervously scanned the motionless hardsuit for any sign of life, worriedly taking note of nicks and scratch he could see, including an ominous cut along her neck, with two streaks of blood running down its edges. But motion of the fingers of the hardsuit and a tilt of the helmet up to face him allayed his immediate fears.

"Leon?" a weak voice emanated from the helmet.

"Just hold on…" he cautioned, reaching up and gently pulling up on the helmet to reveal a very pale and worn face, with tears streaking down both cheeks. "… what…. what happened?" Leon asked, fearful that he already knew the answer… and the possible implications for the future.

Priss looked up and into Leon's worried face, then immediately darted her eyes to the side.

The frown on his face gave away how he felt about Priss' avoidance of the question. "Look, I got a call from the security chief that you had left out of the tower in a big rush and towards a reported rogue boomer sighting. But I don't think this was just any rogue boomer, was it? And were those the other Knight Sabers? What were they here for? What happened, Priss? Speak to me!" he pleaded.

Another tear rolled down her pale cheek, and then a small smile cracked from her lips. "… it was her… linna…" she whispered, her smile inching up as the realization began to hit home. "She's alive. I… I don't know how…" But even as she said the words, the recollection of images that had been projected in her mind just a few minutes before suggested a different possibility.

As Priss' words trailed off, Leon's own mind raced furiously. But he quickly scanned the scene as two more security cars pulled up at the end of the alley. Leon had a million more questions he wanted to ask, but they would have to wait. "We need to get you out…" he started to explain, before sharp words from behind him cut them off.

"You're Priss Asagiri, the former Knight Saber, aren't you."

Leon turned around to see the blond girl he had run past now standing on one leg, propped up against a half standing wall. He could tell she was bad off, but the tone of her words was full of grit and determination despite her condition.

Priss didn't speak, only looking into the fiery eyes of the girl standing above both her and Leon.

"I need to talk to you," she continued. "I need you to tell me about Linna Yamazaki… and whatever you might know about happened to my sister, Ginger Vanette."

"… ginger…" Priss murmered, a small flicker sparking in the recesses of her mind… before a sharp, clear memory shined through, her eyes flaring wide. The gesture wasn't lost on the other woman.

"You know something, don't you?" she exclaimed, taking an involuntary step forward… and immediately shouting out and collapsing on her bad leg and onto the ground.

At least, she would have fallen once again if Leon hadn't spun around to catch her just in the nick of time. "Okay, I can see we have a lot to talk about here. Why don't we continue this conversation once we get all of you some help," he stated, nodding in Priss' direction.

* * *

_~Neo Genom Tower, MegaTokyo, Japan~_

"Sir, my apologies… we… we have lost track of the Knight Sabers," said a uniformed Genom officer bowed before Quincy, his hands shaking by his sides. I small, curt laugh met his report.

"I am not surprised. I want the active search immediately toned down to a minimum. However, ensure our passive search field is expanded in accordance with the specifications given out by the research department."

"R…right way sir!" he blurted out, spinning around on one foot and running for the door.

With his orders given, the large cyborg shifted in the seat behind his desk. A mere thought activated an image projection on the right side of the desk. The image showed security footage of a tower entrance, with medical and security personnel escorting four individuals. Two he was familiar with. Two, who happened to be the most injured, he was not… not yet anyway.

A quick query was placed, and answers were found. And another possible avenue towards his ultimate goal was illuminated… which brought another short laugh to Quincy's throat. "So she wants to know what happened to her sister, does she?"

* * *

_~Colorado, USA~ _

The three men sat stoically at the nondescript table, stacks of papers, folders, data pads and notecards strewn haphazardly over its surface. Two of the men sat at chairs with their military jackets hung over the back, both on one side of the table. Facing them was the third man who had a sports coat hung behind him. Covering the entire wall behind the civilian was a smart board, itself covered with pics, notes, maps, lists and statuses. But even with all the wealth of information spread out before and around them, all three wore confused, worn looks on their faces. Each man silently stared into different points of the table. And based on the empty coffee cups and burned out cigarettes on the table in front of each of them, they had been that way for quite a while.

Finally one of the two military men sighed deep, pulling up his head from his hands, he rocked back in his chair and stared up into the soft lighted ceiling. "We have to assume that Rosencreutz has all the resources to create another sotai."

"If not an army of them," the other military man spoke up beside him.

The civilian on the opposite end of the table shook his head. "As much as we are assuming he has all the right equipment, and even with the supposed host of the last sotai, I still don't think it will work without an untainted, compatible host."

"Unless the Lazarus project has allowed them to perfect the ability to clone," one of the military men argued, bringing up an earlier point of contention.

"And that's just speculation at best. We know his current form is mostly cyborg, so I doubt the cloning technology is as far as we fear," the civilian countered.

A cellphone rang, one of the military officers looked up with a hesitant glance over at the civilian, then sighed and answered his phone. "Yes? You have her? Okay, bring her into lab two immediately." Hanging up the phone, his military companion perked up at last.

"Is that the cousin of the sample's host?"

"Cousin?" the civilian queried worriedly.

"Yes, the Yamazaki woman's cousin is now in our possession. Now we just have to see if she can make a compatible host."

The civilian shot out of his chair and slammed his hands down on the table, scattering papers and folders onto the floor. "WE discussed this and WE agreed not to use a live subject! No one gave authorization for this, did they?"

"Professor James, we did discuss this. However, those discussions were before realization that the phenomenon had spread to influencing humans, and before Rosencreutz came back from the dead and in possession of the sotai," the man said, holstering his phone while responding evenly.

The other military man joined in. "Professor, we understand your reservations, but you must know of Quincy's and Genom's reputation among the scientific community. What do you think he's doing right now? Is he going to carefully proceed in researching the phenomenon, submitting peer reviews, gaining public consensus prior to proceeding? Or is he going to shove every resource he can get his cyborg hands on into drilling every last secret out of the specimens he already has in his possession?"

"So now we're going to stoop to his level? Is that it?"

One of the military men stood up, then walked around the table, past the civilian and to the smart board. He trained his eyes onto an enlarged photo of a blond haired woman singing on a large stage… overlooking an even larger crowd. He pointed one finger at the singer and turned around to face the professor. "For the last six months this one… thing… Aoede… has crisscrossed the world, going from country to country at will and purposely and willfully manipulating every human it came into contact with the thought that it was the greatest singer that ever lived. And it succeeded in that so well that there are worldwide riots going on right now in disbelief that it's been destroyed. You tell me what the risk would be if another… sotai… were created that did anything and everything that Quincy Rosencreutz wanted it to do?"

The sitting military man answered for him. "We already have a pretty good indication from the remains of our exploratory team."

The comment caused his compatriot to momentarily search the floor. Among the folders scattered there, he picked one particular file up, opened the jacket and pulled out a picture of a special operative. He then turned back to the board and affixed the picture next to another picture of two women… women labeled as former Knight Sabers, Jill and Katsumi. "Because of advances by the Chinese government, we had already received authorization to 'make contact' with some of the Knight Sabers. Preliminary information we received from Switzerland was that they succeeded."

"However, after the preliminary contact, we never heard from the team again," the sitting officer continued, "until all but one were found dead. And the one left alive was heavily contaminated by the phenomenon. We brought him back to the US and was preparing to test and interrogate him when he learned of the destruction of the sotai Aoede. In response, he committed suicide."

The officer at the board pointed back at the picture of Aoede. "If Quincy were to obtain something capable of this…"

"Quincy wouldn't be the most powerful man in the world. He wouldn't even be godlike. He would be god. Period," the seated military man finished for him.

Based on his experiences, Professor James could voice no rebuttal to that point. "… so… so what do you want me to do with the woman?"

* * *

_~Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto, Japan~ _

Misa Yamazaki sat alone in one of the converted museum rooms, staring down at the city of Kumamoto below them. Heart broken, a stray tear rolled down her pale cheek. "… linna…" she whispered to the summer winds, softly blowing through the open window. Movement on the castle grounds below drew her eyes nervously downward, her worn out mind struggling with the dreaded anticipation of what could lay ahead for her and the remains of her family. However, instead of the feared armed assailants who had taken her niece from her sister in broad daylight and directly from their home, or even the crazed masses chanting the name of the dead sotai Aoede, this time it only appeared to be a few of the local Kumamoto militia who had gathered up her extended family and whisked them to Kumamoto castle… the one place that corrupted modern technology couldn't touch and the easiest place to defend their people… whoever might still want to try and snatch them away.

Footsteps from the hallway drew her attention to the closed door of the makeshift living space. It slid open with a slight hiss, allowing her husband to enter… followed by two very upset relatives, her light brown haired sister and her sister's husband. "Hina! Are you… " she started to ask, standing up from the chair and taking a step towards her sister… before a barrage of angry questions flew at her.

"Who took her? Where did they take Momoko? Why… why would they do this?!" Hina Tomoe cried out, her husband putting one arm across her and holding her back even as she pushed closer to Misa.

Hirata also placed himself between the two women, although a bit off to one side.

"Hina… Jiro…" Misa started, alternating worried looks between the two, somewhat fearful that Hina's husband might drop his arm if she spoke the wrong words… and that her own husband might not be able to stop them either. However, her own heart didn't have the strength left to fight them. She resigned herself to fate, bowing her head, slumping back into the chair by the window. "… I'm so sorry… I… I don't know who did this or why… exactly…"

"What do you mean 'exactly'!" her sister fired out. "It's about that biker girl, isn't it! The one that's working with that corporation… Genom… This has something to do with her doesn't it!"

"We don't know if Priss is involved or not," Hirata spoke up strongly, directing the attention away from his wife momentarily. He put a hand on Misa's shoulder and tried to give her a reassuring squeeze even as he continued with his own limited knowledge. "Listen, I know both of you are upset, and I don't blame you for that. We…we still don't know what happened to Linna… and… I don't think this is because of Priss. Something… something bigger than all of them has swept them up. Now it's reached deeper into our family. I agreed to bring you up to talk to Misa in hopes that we can all learn something from this and try and figure out what we can do next. God knows we've tried to sort it all out over the last few days and come up with nothing."

The Tomoe's couldn't help but notice the sincerity in Hirata's voice, his words… and the mention of their missing niece, bringing some calm to the situation. Hina's arms lowered to her sides and Jiro was able to release his grip on her. "I just don't understand… what difference does it make that they are related? Un… unless she's a hostage!" Hina quickly surmised, grasping at the only explanation that made any sense to her. "They might be using her to coerce Linna into doing what they want!"

Her husband nodded in affirmation. "Maybe that's what Genom did to Priss as well, otherwise why would she turn on her supposed friends, the Knight Sabers, like that."

But Misa shook her head. "I don't think so. Priss didn't have any other family from what we knew of her. Both her parents and younger brother were killed in the Kanto quake. Neither Priss nor Linna ever mentioned any other relatives while she was staying with us."

"Not like Priss ever said much of anything to us while she was recovering at our house anyway," Hirata commented surly.

"So what could it be then? Why did she turn on the Knight Sabers?" Hina prodded, first at her brother-in-law and then glaring directly into her sister. "And what was she recovering from for so long? You never did tell anyone exactly what happened to Priss the last six months."

"And you never really did explain where Linna went last winter either, only saying that she was 'finding herself' after the boomer plague in Tokyo," Jiro Tomoe added pointedly towards Misa.

Misa continued to bow her head, her eyes shifting from side to side. Finally she let out a deep sigh, and looked up into her sister's eyes. She tried to form the words, her mouth opened, but… no words would come.

Her sister had very little patience. "Well?"

Just then, more footsteps and soft voices echoed throughout the halls of the upper floor of Kumamoto castle as several other Yamazaki family members shuffled through the open door and into the makeshift interrogation room. Upon seeing Hina and Jiro the group gathered in the center of the room and collectively hugged and lended their support to the mourning couple.

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Whatever you need, just ask."_

"_Did they hurt you?"_

"_We're so sorry."_

"_Do you know who did this?"_

The questions asked essentially ignored Misa and Hirata's presence in the room… at least until Hina nodded in her sister's direction. "Misa was about to explain what she knew about _them_… the Knight Sabers…"

Most of the family turned and faced the Yamazaki couple, pinning them to the wall with their glares, stares, and whispered questions.

Hirata gave a final squeeze to Misa's shoulder and then raised in hands outward. "We are going to need some chairs or mats."

"This might take a while," Misa finished explaining.

A few minutes later, enough mats and chairs were accumulated to accommodate the entire family, now seated around the chair that Misa sat stoically at. Thus, she drew in a deep breath, temporarily calming her doubts and fears, and then proceeded to lay all of her daughter's dark secrets out before the bright glare of her entire family.

"Hina asked what Priss was recovering from. She also wanted to know where Linna was last winter, before Priss… came to live in our house. But… to answer those questions, I'll have to start from the beginning." Misa paused for a moment, glancing into the eyes of her questioning family, and wondered just how they were going to take this news. She noticed a small smile from her aunt, the most senior family member present, and found reassurance from the nod in her direction. She bowed her head and continued.

"When Linna left to go work in Tokyo, she had an ulterior motive… which some of you have probably already guessed. She wanted to find the Knight Sabers… and she wanted to help them, and join their cause. And, she succeeded. The first one she met was Priss…" Misa continued with the early tales of the Knight Sabers, and Linna's intial trials and tribulations, including coming home to the fixed date with Masaki Yoshida.

"But that was when Linna was hurt, right? Wasn't that when… well… she lost her fertility?" one of her brothers spoke up.

Misa nodded in agreement. "Yes, but the accident wasn't from a workplace incident. It was while she was trying to fight a rogue boomer with the Knight Sabers…" Misa filled in the details where she could, talking about the accident, and about Priss' role, the events at the hospital and with Masaki and Linna and the fountain that everyone knew about… but no one else knew all the background… until now.

Gasps and 'I told you so's' were whispered among the family at some of the more sorid details. However, Misa paused again at what she had to divulge next.

"You all know of the boomer plague, and the stories of the Knight Sabers involvement due to the Genom testimony. But, what I knew at that time was that Linna… even as hurt as she was… still went back to Tokyo to try and stop the plague from happening. They, the Knight Sabers, knew from the inside history of the real cause of the Kanto quake of 2033. That quake wasn't an accident. Genom used an earthquake device to stop the boomer phenomenon from spreading out of control back in 2033."

"_That's impossible!"_

"_An earthquake device?"_

"_Genom did that?"_

The outbursts from all the family temporarily shocked Misa. She was so used to the maddening, crazed events that she had become somewhat numb to them now. "We could hardly believe it ourselves, until we saw the stories on the news about the boomers going out of control. Linna said that they did try and stop it, but somehow they failed. The sotai, the cause of the boomer phenomenon, was freed and taken by Genom, and to the Genom tower. But somehow, the Knight Sabers managed to regroup and try another attack… except…. except… Linna…"

Misa bowed her head again, but felt a calm hand on her arm, and looked up into the worried and concerned face of her sister. That concern warmed her own heart enough to continue. "We don't know exactly what happened next… only that… Linna was captured by the sotai and brought into space with it and the Genom tower."

"_Captured?"_

"_Space?"_

"_Was it related to the showhamm disaster?"_

"Yes, it was directly related to the Showhamm project. The station was destroyed as the Knight Sabers fought the sotai know as Galatea. But, Galatea, the reason she captured Linna… was to try and create more of her kind… the same way that Sylia Stingray had been used by her own father to create Galatea in the first place. In fact, something was embedded inside Linna. But, it failed. It failed in space when the other Knight Sabers, and specifically Priss, were trying to rescue her. So, because of that failure, Galatea decided to try again. And, this time, she used Priss. And, as you've heard, she succeeded, and Aoede was created."

Misa paused from her tale, glancing up and finding stunned silence all around her family. "Somehow Linna's hardsuit protected her return to Earth, but the failed seed almost killed her. Luckily it was removed by a doctor in Switzerland, where Masaki was able to meet her and bring her back home. But, the trauma she suffered really took a toll on her memories and mental state. It took weeks to overcome, but when she did… she remembered what had happened to Priss. But, no one knew where on Earth she was. That was when Linna left to go find her."

"So, she wasn't finding herself. She was trying to find Priss," Hina spoke up, beginning to tie the threads together. "So, when did she find her? Where was she?"

"Linna never did find Priss, and to this day, we don't know where she was," Misa answered.

Jiro spoke up, confusion swelling in his voice. "But, Linna was gone for months! And we all know Priss was recovering here for the last few months herself. So, what happened?"

"Linna said that a boomer delivered her at our doorstep," Misa responded with a shrug. "One minute we were planting annuals on the front of the house. I stepped inside to wash up, and when I came back outside a few minutes later Priss was literally lying in Linna's arms. I never saw the boomer that Linna supposedly saw, and at that point I didn't know what to believe. But, when we inspected Priss, we found the same… marks… on her body that Linna had also suffered from. Linna seemed to know what they were, but, was probably in denial. She didn't want to believe that another sotai had been created, and created from Priss at that. But, at the time, none of us knew better. Priss… she could barely function at all, and never did fully recover her memory in the entire time she was here. Linna, and both of us, we were all so focused on helping Priss recover that we completely missed any connection between Priss and Aoede."

"You really believe that? You believe… believe Aoede was a kind of… boomer… a sotai? And that it was created out of Priss' body?" Hina queried in disbelief.

A young voice from behind Hina answered the question for them. "I can see it. I can totally see it," spoke one of their teenage nephews. "After that news conference, when Priss ratted out the Knight Sabers, I dug around online. Comparing concert footage from Priss and Aoede, side by side, I can absolutely believe it. They are almost like copies of each other," he said unapologetically.

"You mean Aoede is a copy of Priss," another relative offered up.

Jiro shook his head in bewilderment. "But what does this have to do with Momoko's kidnapping? Why, why would anyone want our daughter?"

Silence fell across the room at the difficult question, but only for a few moments.

"Well," Misa started hesitantly, before anxious looks from her sister and brother in law prodded her to continue. "It was something that Linna mentioned to me, about the events at Showhamm. I asked her, why when Galatea had captured her, why did she turn around and implant the sotai seed inside Priss. Linna said that the host, as she called it, had to be 'untainted' by the process. That was why Galatea couldn't use Sylia again… and why, after the seed inside her had failed, Galatea couldn't use her either…"

"But, wait, are you saying…" Jiro started, before his wife cut him off.

"…someone wants to grow one… one of those things inside Momoko?!" Hina fnished for him, her eyes wide with panic and fear. "How? Why? Why my Momoko? I don't understand!

Hina bowed her head once more, measuring her words carefully. "I just don't know enough of the details of what actually happened to Linna, or even to Priss to say for sure. Hopefully I am totally wrong and this has nothing to do with Momoko. At this point, without even knowing what happened to Linna… all I know is that about ten days ago Priss left our home to go back to Tokyo to continue her recovery… around her more familiar surroundings. Then, three days later Linna got a call from Priss to meet her in Tokyo. That was the last we heard from Linna. Then a couple of days ago we saw the Genom press conference with Priss…" At that point Misa broke down into sobs, Hirata trying to give her comfort with a small hug around her shoulders, before continuing on for her.

"Most of what we know is what Genom has announced. Priss is alive, but working with Genom and has not tried to contact us. Aoede was 'deactivated'… whatever the hell that means. One of the other Knight Sabers did contact us after the Genom press conference, but they didn't know anymore that we did. I think they went into hiding after talking to us…"

"…but now with Momoko kidnapped as well, they may be our only hope to figure out what is going on. We have to find a way to get in touch with them again. We have to ask the Knight Sabers to help us find out what happened to Linna and Momoko," Misa finished, wiping tears from her face as she gave a thankful squeeze on the arm of her husband.

Jiro wasn't convinced. "Just how the hell can the rest of the Knight Sabers help us when they will be lucky to help themselves? The rest of the world is out there right now trying to hunt them down thanks to Genom!"

"And thanks to Priss," Hina added darkly.

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: Yeah, _it happened again_. Another plot twist. Oh well. :P


	30. Ch 29: Caught in the Middle

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 29 – "Caught in the Middle"

* * *

_~MegaTokyo, Japan~ _

The young woman's eyes fluttered briefly, light forcing them closed again once again.

"Linna? Linna, are you awake?"

The voice that had pulled her from rest drew her eyes open again, recognition of that voice causing her head to turn to the side, away from the light above her and towards the source of the sound, a young blond kneeling at her side. "… nene...? nene… is that you?" Somehow Linna managed to squeak out the question from between very dry lips.

"Yes, yes it's me," was all Nene could manage to say, her eyes misting up. She leaned over and gave her friend a reassuring, gentle hug around the outside of the blanket covering Linna's body. "How do you feel?"

Linna lifted both arms up and around the blanket, giving Nene a surprisingly strong hug in return. "Tired, thirsty, but… but… Nene!" Linna flinched, causing her friend to quickly sit up.

"What's wrong?!" Panicked fears began to grip Nene tight as Linna flung the blanket off of her chest, immediately sat upright on the makeshift bedding on the floor and lifted up the white t-shirt to just above her ribline.

Linna's hand traced her belly, searching for something. Her fingers felt the familiar scars from the accident with Priss, but… "I don't understand. It seemed so real…"

Nene inspected her friend for just a moment, before a small smile overtook her concerns. "Linna, you are probably wondering about the injuries from Aoede, aren't you? We were all shocked to find out what had happened to you. I still don't know how you lived through that."

"Lived? But… but… look, I don't even have a scratch! How the hell did that happen?!" she asked with confused, pleading eyes. And those eyes turned inward, her mind turning over the possibilities, before they doubled in size. "Priss! Where's Priss?"

The quick turn to the one question that Nene knew Linna would ask caught her off guard nevertheless. "Um, well…" she started evasively, eyes darting to the side before recalling her original plan when this topic came up. "… that might take a while to explain. But, I think there are some other people who would love to see you now that you are awake!" Nene diverted, standing up and running out of the room as fast as she could.

That left a very confused and worried Linna in her wake. "Explain?" As ominous as that sounded, Linna was certain that if Priss had been killed, as she feared based on her own experiences, Nene would not have run away like that. At least that was what her instincts told her at first. But then, as she recalled the look in Nene's face when she had asked, something else began to bother her. Something didn't seem quite right… and it wasn't just Nene's behavior that was the problem. More doubts began to creep into Linna's mind as she began to scan the room around her. "Why is Nene here? Where am I?"

The light that had forced Linna's eyes closed was a soft, dimmed overhead box light, illuminating a small, windowless room. One door, which was currently open, appeared to be the only access. A darkened hallway appeared to be on the other side of the doorway, although it was altogether too dark to tell for certain. Decorative pictures adorned the walls, with the only other furniture in the room besides the thin bedding on the floor that she lied on were two chairs and a small table between the two, with what appeared to be a stack of books and magazines on top. It gave Linna the impression that she had been watched over for some amount of time. She just had no idea how long it had been… or even, since when considering what she could recall about the battle with Aoede… and fuzzy memories of someone else.

Further scanning the room, Linna noticed a bottle next to her bed. Picking it up, she found it to be an unopened bottle of water… which reminded her just how thirsty she was. She took small sips from the bottle, careful not to drink too much at once considering she still didn't understand what was going on with her body. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of what should have been an awful looking injury on the outside, and god only knew what had happened internally based on how the blade had felt and her past experiences with Priss' knucklebomb.

Linna recapped the bottle and placed it next to the bed where she had found it. She removed the blanket from her legs and took a quick inventory of her unfamiliar clothing, a plain white t-shirt matched with a non-descript navy blue pair of sweatpants that seemed a size or two too large. But her worries were much more than the outside, leading her to do a quick self-check of her muscles, doing a few minor stretching exercises while flat on her back. She found them sore, but otherwise completely intact. She let out a sigh, stretching out completely with her arms over her head. She lay like that for a few moments, staring at the light on the ceiling. A small sense of deja-vu warmed her heart, as she recalled a similar time shared with someone in another strange place. She recalled lying on an unknown floor, trying to rest when a dark skinned blond had joined her under a blanket. That's when the wave of recollection crashed over the top of Linna like a tsunami wave.

"Ginger!" She sprung from the floor… but quickly regretted the move as the room spun wildly. Linna stumbled backwards before catching herself before she fell into the wall. She crumpled to the ground, covering herself with her arms as more shivers ran the length of her body. Images of a young woman holding a gun at her head flashed in her memory. Then a recollection of pulling that gun to her head, begging the woman to pull the trigger to end her own pain, suffering and misery. Her hands shook as she remembered pulling on the gun even while it was in the other woman's hands, someone else running towards them… and then the flash and pop of the small gun as it discharged right next to her face…

Linna was so lost in the past she never heard the footsteps and voices of the others as they walked through the hallway and into her small room.

"I couldn't believe how well she looked…. LINNA!" Nene cried out as she entered the room first, finding her friend curled up in the corner of the small room, cowering in a ball of fear, trembling, tears running down her cheeks.

"I thought you said she was fine!" Jill chided behind her as Nene and Katsumi ran to either side of Linna.

"She was when I left two seconds ago! Linna! Linna, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Nene frantically called out to her, trying to coax her to respond.

After a few moments, Linna blinked, then blinked again. Finally her eyes began to focus and found Nene's face above hers. And that was the moment Linna screamed…

"WHAAA… Who the hell are you?! What did you do with Nene?" pushing the young blond away from her while her eyes darted from possible enemy to possible enemy in the room. "Just who the hell are you?! What do you want from me?!"

Nene stood up in shock. Katsumi took a couple of cautionary steps back. Mackey and Sylia stood still just inside the doorway. Jill, standing in the middle of the room, just crossed her arms. "I knew this wasn't such a great idea. We should have had Katsumi try and wake her first."

Nene flashed an angry frown at her former business partner. "And why is that?!"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you're lit up like a Christmas tree right now?" Jill joked tersely.

"A Christmas…" Nene started before her eyes flared. She held up her hands and inspected them and found them bathed in an orange glow. She cursed at herself, then turned towards Linna with sorrowful eyes. "Linna, I can explain…"

But Linna wasn't having any of it. "Stay Away From Me!" She stood up, leaning with her back against the wall for support and to stay as far away as she could from the imposters. And the one thing she feared most, the one word that kept resonating in the back of her mind, screaming its warning to her… _sotai… sotai… sotai…_

"Linna, we just want to help," Katsumi pleaded.

"Please Linna," Nene begged.

The tall male walked towards the center of the room and stood between the two desperate women. "Let me try…" Mackey started to calmly suggest, before another hailstorm of verbal accusations flew out from Linna's mouth.

"You! I don't know who or what the hell you are, but just stay right there!" Linna threatened irrationally, even as she propped herself up against the wall and supported herself with one arm… while holding her other hand to her head, trying desperately to fight off the nausea and weakness threatening to drop her to the ground.. "All of you… just… don't know… "

"Please, let me explain," Mackey offered, outstretching his arm to Linna.

To which Linna slapped it away with a sudden burst of energy and fiery rebuttal. "Explain what you did with Priss! Start with that!"

Her words and actions both stopped and silenced Mackey.

"… linna…" Nene whispered, sadness wrapped in her words.

"No one did anything to Priss," a bitter voice spoke up from the back of the room, to which everyone's attention quickly turned to face the speaker, including Linna. And that voice seemed to break through the fog of denial in her mind.

"_Sylia."_ the brown haired woman gasped in recognition.

Sylia took a couple of steps forward to stand next to Mackey. "Priss isn't here because she betrayed all of us, including you Linna."

"Betrayed? What… what are you talking about?!"

"She decided to tell Genom, tell the investigators of the boomer plague, tell the world that everything was my fault… my fault and the fault of the Knight Sabers," Syila spat out, tears forming at the edges of her eyes even as her anger rose with every word, every syllable that she spoke. "Priss is the enemy now Linna. Priss is working with Genom to frame me, and consequently the rest of the Knight Sabers for everything that they did with Galatea."

"And now the whole world is after us, dead or alive," Jill punctuated with her own bitter conclusion.

"That's why we're here, hiding out in Tokyo trying to get more answers. But, if we're found here..." Sylia trailed off, not finding the words to properly frame their current desperate situation.

Linna couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. Her heart felt frozen, her body numb. Pale, violet eyes widened with shock, staring at her former leader, trying to process everything that she had said. Then, her eyes darted around the room again, searching for any sign of the truth. "… that… that can't be right… Priss? Help Genom?" she let out a stress filled laugh. But she didn't see denial in any of the others in the room. Thus, she slipped back into the depths of denial herself. "Okay, this… it's a trick… y… yeah, just a trick… that's crazy… That's Crazy! Priss would Never lie like that! _NEVER_!" she yelled at everyone, but at no one in particular. Then with a burst of inspiration, she quickly focused her energies inward, toward the last thing she trusted in this world, the mental link she still shared with Priss.

Closing her eyes, Linna concentrated hard to find the gateway recently restored by the child god Aoede. _Priss, Priss, can you hear me? Please! I need you, Priss!_ And then she felt a connection, and in her mind heard a response… but not the one she was expecting.

_Linna, Sylia is telling the truth._

Linna's eyes shot wide open, staring at the source of the voice in her mind… staring at the faint orange glow enveloped around the being that looked like her former friend. Horrid reflections of past nightmares flashed in her consciousness… memories of Galatea, trapped in Genom tower, her own hardsuit used against her… And then she heard Nene's voice in her head again, even though her lips never moved…

_Linna, please, I know this is hard…_

And that was the moment Linna Yamazaki completely lost control…

* * *

_~Neo Genom Tower, MegaTokyo, Japan~_

Leon stood outside the now familiar doorway and collected his thoughts. He inhaled deeply, held his breath for a moment, then pressed the room card against the reader for the door lock with an exhale. The door slid open and revealed a certain brown haired woman lying on the lone bed in the room, facing towards the windows of the external wall. But with Priss' back facing him, Leon couldn't tell if she was sleeping or not.

He took a soft step into the room letting the door slide closed behind him… at least as soft as his work boots would allow. Late day light flooded into the room, casting long shadows, the silhouette of Priss arched in his direction on the floor. Leon took two more full steps and started a third before an annoyed voice halted his progress.

"I'm awake," Priss told the glass wall she faced, not bothering to turn around.

"Oh. Well, in that case," Leon further intruded, grabbing one of the chairs by the table and carrying it around the other side of the bed and placing it between Priss and the glass. He sat in the chair and inspected his charge. And even though he had purposely placed himself in her field of vision, she continued to look past him. "So how are you feeling?" he prodded, peering at her neck while trying to get a look at the bandage. However, the cut was on the side of her neck currently resting on her pillow, out of his sight.

And, once again, silence was his answer.

"Has anyone come up to check on your injuries?"

More silence.

"Have you gone to the clinic to get checked out at least?"

Finally Priss let out a sigh and looked into Leon's eyes with her own distant, brown ones. "I'm fine."

"No you aren't. You haven't moved in two days."

Priss' eyes narrowed at him, then turned neutral again, drifting into the bedding as she shifted her arms up to further cradle the pillow.

"Priss, come on. You haven't said more than two words to me since… since you found her. Would you at least tell me what I can do to help you?" He paused to see if Priss might want to open up at the mention of Linna, but she continued to be more interested in the bedding than him, staring into the fabric. His shoulders sagged a bit more. "Fine. Look, that girl, Lisa, she wants to come talk to you tonight. The docs have cleared her to move around, so since you didn't want to go down there, or didn't bother to tell anyone what you wanted, she wants to come up to your room. She's really determined to see you."

More silence.

"Then tell me should I even bother bringing her up here? Are you going to going to give her the same treatment as me?"

Emotionless words floated across the bedding as Priss barely flinched. "Whatever you want to do."

Leon let out a snort, bowing his head in frustration. Then with a snap he stood up off the chair, snatched it off the floor lifting it over his head and carried it back to the table… all while arguing with the far wall opposite Priss. "What I want to do is help you. What I want is for you to tell me how I can help you. I want you to just talk to me, tell me what you're thinking, stop ignoring me. That's what I want!" he yelled, banging the chair onto the floor and into place at the table. He turned around and let out one final burst. "But you aren't going to tell me anything because you are stubborn… pig headed… selfish… and don't listen to a damn thing I have to say anyway! Why do I even bother…"

He paused for a moment to see if his outburst had generated any sort of reaction from Priss. However, the only reaction from the resting woman was no reaction at all. He turned and wordlessly walked out of the room.

A few moments later, the door opened and a flustered male voice apologetically spoke into the room. "Sorry… I… I'll bring Lisa up here in a little while."

And with that, Leon closed the door and sulked his way down to the infirmary ward to find the young woman… a woman still desperate to find out more about her murdered sister.

* * *

_~MegaTokyo, Japan~ _

Nene stood alone on the rooftop, staring at the crescent summer moon high in the cloudless night sky above MegaTokyo. Sadness pierced her human heart, her mind reflecting back on her terrorized, traumatized friend. Even though she wanted desperately to help, she knew that her presence and even Mackey's presence wasn't helping the situation. Thus, they had left and let Sylia, Jill and Katsumi do their best to calm Linna down. For his part, Mackey headed back to the makeshift hardsuit bay to continue fine tuning their equipment. However, Nene was much too distracted and altogether too shaken by her old teammate's reaction to her… and her new found abilities. The fear and distrust in Linna's eyes, and the words, those words… _"Who the hell are you?! What did you do with Nene? Stay Away From Me!"_

A tear streaked down the blond woman's pale cheek as one word wisped from her trembling lips. "… linna…"

She stood alone, absently staring at the bright, light polluted Tokyo night sky for time until a door opened behind her and caught her off guard. Nene flinched, then nervously spun around… only to relax at the familiar person walking through the doorway to join her on the rooftop of the abandoned office/manufacturing building they had procured as a temporary base of operations. "Katsumi!" Nene exclaimed as quietly as she could. "How is she?"

Katsumi walked over, reached out with one hand and gave Nene a reassuring squeeze on her arm. "She's resting comfortably again… finally. It took quite a while for Jill and me to talk her down. And that was after just holding her down for a good fifteen minutes. Luckily she doesn't have that much strength back yet. Sylia… she wasn't much help really. She's so upset with Priss… I think she's taking it out on Linna."

Nene frowned at the news. "Can't she see that Linna needs help though! We need her!"

"I know, I know," Katsumi agreed.

They paused for a moment, the relative silence of their ruined section of MegaTokyo only interrupted by a soft, warm summer breeze blowing over the rooftop. Nene turned towards the darkened city around them, peering into the not too distant buildings lit up with the light of recovery shining bright over much of the surrounding areas… including the tallest structure many kilometers away… the newly created Neo Genom Tower dwarfing everything else around it not only with its sheer size, but also the amount of light pouring out from all sides of the metal pyramid structure.

Behind them, the sound of the door drew both their attention as the taller blond woman stepped out onto the roof.

"There you are! Are you two trying to get us caught up here!" Jill chided angrily but quietly, standing in the darkened doorway.

"I can't sense anyone else near here," Nene explained apologetically.

"And you think Genom or anyone else won't think to check the buildings here for any source of light or sound? And what about your little nightlight glow there little miss mini sotai? Think they won't see that from the tower?" she accentuated with a finger pointed at the main source of their current plight.

"Jill! You know Nene feels terrible about what happened with Linna!" Katsumi parried.

"Yes, but she can feel all depressed about it out of the moonlight at least! Get your butts over here and keep your voices down," she angrily whispered out.

Katsumi glanced around and quickly noticed what had Jill so alarmed. The moonlight was setting a noticeable shadow across part of the rooftop… and Nene and herself were clearly in the lighter side. They both quickly complied and hurried over to the wall and into the shadows. "Sorry Jill, I should have been more careful."

The taller blond clenched up, ready to rip into both of them anew. But a glance into Nene's still saddened eyes halted her rage. She took two deep breaths then let the tension dissolve through her body. Jill leaned back into the wall, crossing her hands behind her hand while lifting one boot up against the wall. "We all just need to calm down and start thinking with our heads. If we don't, we're might as well just turn ourselves in now."

Nene was next to apologize. "I know Jill, I'm sorry. I… I didn't mean to… I… I'm just…"

"It's okay Nene," Katsumi offered, before a quick rebuttal from her friend.

"No it's not! Linna thinks I'm a clone! Or a sotai! A monster!" she argued, more tears welling up, her arms shaking by her sides. "And the worst part is she might be right! Sometimes… sometimes I don't even know… what… what am I? I can barely control whatever is inside of me. Down there, when I saw Linna, when I ran to her side, I wasn't thinking… I mean, I wanted to help, I wanted to know what was wrong with her! I didn't even know I was using any… I mean… I wasn't trying…"

"Nene, relax," Jill spoke, breaking into her ranting. "You've only been working with your new body for a little over a week now. Just give some more time."

"And some practice," Katsumi added with a wink while putting one arm over her shoulder and giving her another reassuring squeeze.

Jill nodded in agreement. "Look, when I was first fitted with my new arm, it took weeks of therapy in a hospital in Chicago just to be able to function normally with it. But, compared to me you are a certifiable genius."

"And on top of that, you know how Mackey feels about you," Katsumi added.

The two original Sabers paused for a moment, collectively hoping that their encouragement would take hold with their hurt friend. For her part, Jill stood with her back against the wall, subconsciously taking notes of their surroundings in case they needed an escape plan. Katsumi continued to focus on Nene, looking for signs that she might perk up a bit. All she could discern in the shadows were a few sniffles from her shorter friend. Thus, Katsumi tried to help by continuing the discussion regarding the person she knew would lighten her mood at least slightly.

"Hey, speaking of Mackey, isn't he finished with the plans for the battle trainer now?" Katsumi asked.

Nene wiped the tears from her face as a small smile appeared. "Yeah, he's actually started to put it together in that basement area next to the power feeds. He could have it done in a few minutes… if he wasn't afraid of putting out too much energy himself."

Jill added her thoughts as well. "We have to be very careful not to give anyone a reason to start looking around here."

But Katsumi was quick to redirect, first clearing her throat in Jill's direction to signal her displeasure. "Yeah, yeah we do need to be careful… but, what sort of trainer is he putting together? When we… well… worked with Sylia before, she was starting to build a battle recorder, but I don't think that'll help us now, will it?"

"Mackey said the specs were based on the recorder, but he has a much bigger plan in place. This trainer will be much more interactive and allow us to use our actual hardsuits instead of the recorder base that Sylia had at the Silky Doll," Nene punctuated with a raised finger and a wink, her mood brightening considerably with the talk of the progress that she and Mackey had made on the trainer.

Jill gave Nene a smile in return. "That should work. It's been years since Kat and I trained in a hardsuit, and the ones that Aoede created are much more advanced. Like we talked about before, if we stand any chance of surviving this, and especially if we have to get inside that tower to get answers, we'll have to be at our best in the hardsuits."

"All of us, including Linna," Nene added, her mood darkening once more at the recollection of her tormented teammate.

The mention of the possible tower attack, and 'recruiting' Linna to help them keyed in the mind of the short black haired woman, triggering a fear of hers that she quickly vocalized. "But what if Priss is there waiting for us? Nene, you know her best. Do… do you think she'll really fight us?" Katsumi asked.

Nene paused for a moment, contemplating.

However Jill was quick to fill in with her own thoughts. "I think we have to assume the worst Kat. She was ready to go to blows with Sylia when we rescued Linna."

"But Priss was trying to get to Linna as well," Nene countered.

"Maybe so she could turn her against us as well," Jill argued. "She has to know her odds of beating us would be that much better if Linna was fighting with her instead of with us."

But Nene wasn't so sure. "Jill, you make it sound like Priss is trying to raise an army against us. How do you even know she just isn't still only mad at Sylia? Trust me, Priss and Sylia have been at each other's throats for a while now, even before Galatea was released."

"And it's not like we've gotten any answers about the testimony that Priss gave. Just what was she talking about anyway? What's so significant about her father?" Katsumi continued, siding with her shorter blond friend.

Nene gave another sign. "I wish I knew. Sylia still hasn't been open with us about that, and I haven't found anything in my searches."

Katsumi perked up at the mention of the search. "That reminds me, when I was searching through the video of the rescue of Linna, I saw something that might interest you Jill."

"What's that?" the former special operative asked inquisitively.

"Who was that guy? The one you were always complaining about in Chicago during rehab with your arm?"

"My reha… oh… oh no… " she stammered, her voice suddenly becoming very shallow, nervous.

"You remember him?" Kat asked.

"Him who?" Nene queried, her own curiosity peaked.

"Well, it might not be him. Kinda hard to tell with all the debris, and how badly he appeared to be injured," Katsumi added.

"Oh, please. Please, it can't be him," Jill feared, her hand covering her forehead, attempting to block out the oncoming migraine.

"Who?" Nene yelled out, frustration boiling over.

"Shhhhhhhh!" Jill put a finger to her lips, her eyes burrowed deep at Nene. "C'mon then, let me see the footage you have. There's just no way that this guy is that boneheaded Bean Bandit," Jill said to her partner while shaking her head, leading the way back down into the building and away from the darkened Tokyo skyline.

* * *

_~Neo Genom Tower, MegaTokyo, Japan~_

"Okay then, just give me a call when you are done," Leon disappointingly threw out over his shoulder to the two women sitting at the table.

Lisa Vanette gave him a smile. "Thank you. If you want, just have Bean come get me when we are done," she added. Leon nodded his understanding before the door closed behind him, leaving her alone with Priss for the first time since the incident with the rogue hardsuit. She turned in her wheelchair to face the former Knight Saber, sitting across from her at the small two person round table. "Thank you, again, for letting me up here to talk to you. And, thanks for kicking Leon out. He's a nice enough guy, and I think he means well, but…"

"Yeah, he's a pain," Priss smirked.

Lisa let out a light laugh, careful of her fractured ribs. "He can be sometimes."

The casually dressed singer let out a sigh. "Most of the time," she clarified further.

Lisa took a notebook from her lap and laid it onto the table, opening up the pad of paper and pulling a pencil from a shirt pocket and held it above the pad. "So, what can you tell me about my sister, Ginger Vanette?"

"You first," Priss smiled at her.

"Me? But, why do you want to know about my sis…"

"Not her. Linna. Tell me everything that you know about what happened to Linna… or the boomer that attacked you."

Lisa's heart sank as she quickly realized what this might cost her, dropping the pencil on the pad as it rolled to the edge of the table. "Um… can you just tell me about my sister first?"

"No," Priss quickly countered, her smile sinking into neutrality.

The dark skinned blond looked away from the stare of the intense brown eyes now following her every move. And even as determined as she had been before, she was quickly regretting her decision to see the enigma known as Priss Asagiri in person. "I… I don't really know how…"

"Just tell me when you first saw her, where it was, and what kind of shape she was in."

Lisa took in a deep breath, flinching at the pain in her ribs, but exhaling as she started her tale. "We found the green hardsuit at the north base of the tower, about three days ago I think. At first, we thought it… we thought she was dead. The blood, the holes in the armor… we didn't see how she could still be alive."

Priss winced at the mental image the description brought out.

"But then we noticed the movement, and heard her voice. She was alive somehow."

"So, the hardsuit went rogue when it noticed you?" Priss guessed.

Lisa tried to evade the question, and seriously considered just lying her way out of harm's way. However, she considered her own quest for the truth and the trust that she needed to build… unlike her earlier attempts. "Um, not exactly," she said sheepishly, her good arm raising up behind her head.

Priss listened intently, waiting on the explanation.

"Yeah, well, did I mention how I got to Tokyo? See I was doing my own research when I saw your testimony, and how the Knight Sabers caused the boomer plague."

"And?" Priss asked, growing annoyed with the other woman's avoidance of the topic.

"But… you see, I was looking for who killed my sister… and then, you blamed the Knight Sabers for releasing the boomers, and so, I blamed the Knight Sabers for my sister's death. Specifically, I blamed the green one…"

"Linna? You blamed Linna for your sister's death? Why her?"

"Because we found pictures of her and Ginger together at a club just before the boomer plague broke out. And, a few days later, right before she died… survivors said she was with someone matching her description. Linna stayed behind for some reason. And then people said they saw the green hardsuit afterwards. My sister, she got on that last bus… the bus that everyone died on…"

"So why is that Linna's fault?"

"Because she sent her to her death!" Lisa screamed out. "You said the Knight Sabers released those boomers! So what else could have happened? Linna sent her on the bus, and then the boomers they released destroyed the bus and killed everyone on it, including… including my sister…"

"It wasn't her fault," Priss started to counter, pausing as she considered just how to explain the situation. However Lisa wasn't waiting any longer.

"What do you mean not her fault? You said it yourself, in that testimony! The Knight Sabers caused the boomer plague! And… and if Linna didn't think it was her fault, then why did she try and kill herself?"

"Kill herself? What are you talking about?"

"… oh… yeah, that…" Lisa squeaked out, sinking into her wheelchair.

"That? Tell me what happened to Linna, now!"

Lisa gulped hard, then stared directly into her own lap as she talked. "We… we didn't know what we were really doing. We… we chained up the hardsuit… to keep it from hurting us though!" she added, her pleading face begging for understanding from the other woman.

Priss wasn't so understanding. "Chained her up? You just said that you didn't even think she was alive, and then… then you chain her up!"

"Look, I'm sorry… I was terrified of what the Knight Saber might do! God, for the last few days all we had heard on the news was about how so many people had been killed by them and the boomers, so what the hell was I supposed to do? I just wanted answers… I wanted to find out what she did to my sister. That's why we used the chains and the gun on… eh… oh…" Lisa stumbled as she realized the rant had gone on a little too far.

If Priss was upset before, now she was ready to explode. "First chains, then a gun?"

"Um, yeah… about that… well, I didn't know how else to get the answers from her… so… so when she started to wake up, I had a gun in my hand… and… told her to tell me what happened to my sister." Lisa paused, unsure of what really had happened next in her own mind.

"And?" Priss fired out, impatience boiling over.

"Well, that's when she tried to kill herself."

The fury evaporated under the confusion of the blond girl's statement. "Tried… to kill…?"

"She broke the chains, then grabbed the gun… and pointed in to her own head … and it was still in my hands. I wasn't gonna shoot, had no intensions of using it… but, she put her own finger on the trigger."

The color drained from Priss face, turning it an even shade whiter than it already was. "Why?"

"Linna blamed herself for Ginger's death. That's what she said to me. She said, 'It's my fault'… just before my partner came in and knocked the gun from our hands. It… it went off though. Luckily it missed, the bullet went just past her head somehow. That must have been the trigger though," she surmised, leafing back through her jumbled memories.

"The trigger?"

"Yeah, because right after that was when the hardsuit turned into a mad boomer. We ran out of the building and tried to outrun it in a car. And you saw how that ended up."

"But, the hardsuit wasn't rogue when I got there," Priss corrected.

Lisa shook her head in response. "No, no it wasn't." And a tear rolled down the young girl's cheek. "Linna, somehow she got it back under control, even after everything that had happened to her. And she kept calling out my sisters name… saying she wasn't going to let the boomer kill her this time. I think… I think she thought I was Ginger. I think she was trying to save me," she realized through watery eyes, now understanding more of the situation than ever before.

A tear escaped one of Priss' brown eyes as well as she smiled at the tale of Linna's strength winning out in the end. "I know just how much she cared for your sister. I think she would do anything in the world to bring her back… or to punish anyone she thought was responsible for her death."

"What makes you say that?" Lisa asked, wiping the tears away with her shirt sleeve.

"Because… because she nearly killed me over your sister."

"What? You two… fought over her? Wait, are… are you two… um… well… you know…"

Priss smirked at Lisa's uncomfortable question. "Yeah, we're… close. But that's not exactly why or what happened. Remember when I said I had to go into space to rescue a teammate? "

"During the testimony, yeah, I remember."

"The teammate I had to rescue was Linna. She had been captured by the first sotai, Galatea. When we reached the station, I found her. Except, I… I didn't recognize her at first because Galatea had modified her hardsuit. I thought it was just another one of Galatea's boomers, so I tried to fight it… and wound up fighting Linna. She beat the hell out of me with that hardsuit too. But, when Linna did show herself to me, she blamed me for Ginger's death," Priss explained, bowing her head at the painful reminders. Then she lifted her shirt up to expose her midsection to the shocked wheelchair bound girl. "And this…" she accentuated, running a finger over the scar under her shirt, "…is just one of the things that Linna did to me."

Lisa gasped her surprise at the long single scar running nearly the length of Priss' abdomen from the top of her waistline all the way up to her ribcage. "That's horrible!"

Priss simply lowered the shirt back down to continue. "Galatea had planted the lie in her head, but Linna acted as if I had really led those boomers to the tunnel to kill Ginger myself. I had no chance against her. In the end, I think I really died up there, in space."

"Wh… what do you mean?" Lisa stammered, confused.

"I'm pretty sure I saw the afterlife. But, Galatea had other plans for me. During the fight I had with Linna, the fight over your sister, I managed to stop Galatea from using Linna's body to create another sotai. So, she brought me back from near death, healed my wounds… and then used my body instead. She used me to create another sotai, the one you know as Aoede."

Lisa's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "So, because… because of my sister… Aoede… Aoede?"

Priss answered the unfinished question with a silent nod.

Lisa continued to stare at Priss dumfounded at her discovery. Suddenly, she remembered her notepad, fumbling for the pencil as she furiously began scribbling on the paper.

Priss silently watched her progress, patiently waiting for her opportunity to continue with her own questions. After a few minutes of watching the blonde's note taking, she decided to press for more answers. "So, did Linna say anything else to you? Were you able to get a look at her injuries?"

Lisa paused, staring into the pad on the table. "No, not really. She had just regained consciousness when her hardsuit went rogue. And I think… she passed out in the alley from trying to stop her hardsuit from killing me. I… think she was coughing up blood then, but… didn't that person… I think his name was Mackey… say she was going to be okay?"

But Priss couldn't answer. At the mention of that name, several images suddenly projected inside Priss' mind… images showing the formerly comatose boomer boy reanimated… then his body burning alive with enormous energy… and finally, his body calm, but hovering over a badly burned and disfigured Nene…

"_Priss? Priss?"_

Priss blinked twice and shook her head, trying to make sense out of the answers given to her unspoken questions. Finally she refocused on the concerned Lisa staring back at her.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just… just had a bit of a flashback, that's all."

"Of what?"

"Just, just some old memories of the Knight Sabers, that's all," she said, not entirely sure if she should divulge those facts about Aoede's actions or not, considering that according to what she could recall, there should have been no way that Nene could have been alive, much less piloting one of the red hardsuits. And that thought brought forth even more questions to Priss' mind… of the fact that there were three other hardsuits. And just as soon as she asked, even more memories flooded her consciousness… former sabers, Jill and Katsumi, wearing hardsuits, fighting Sylia… and then Sylia, nearly dead, still trying to fight Aoede…

"_PRISS?"_

Lisa's yelling voice finally broke her out of the latest trance as the blue saber fought to regain her focus. "… unngh… what… what the hell was that…"

"What? You were just talking about some old memories and then… then you just stopped talking… you even stopped breathing!"

Priss shook her head again even as a low buzz continued to cloud her thoughts. This buzz wasn't the familiar link with Linna however… it seemed to be tied to her out of body memory recollections. "Sorry… sorry Lisa. I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe just an after effect of all the crap my head has been through the last week or so," she tried to reason.

A knock on the door brought both women's attention up from their discussion and their troubles.

"Probably Leon," Priss surmised, an annoyed look flashing across her face. "Who is it?" she yelled out anyway, mentally steeling herself to send Leon straight to hell if he wouldn't back off this time. However, the door slid open and divulged a different male in a black leather jacket.

"Bean?" Lisa called out to her companion. "I… I wasn't finished yet. I said I would call…"

"Sorry Lisa, but something else came up. Doctor's orders," he explained flatly.

Something about the lack of emotion in his normally expressive voice troubled Lisa. "What orders? The doctor said I was fine to move around. They didn't want to see me again for at least a week!"

Bean appeared to ignore her protests as he walked up to the wheelchair. However, he spied something else across the room causing and his eyes to light up. "Hey, nice hardsuit." He commented with a smirk.

Priss glanced over her shoulder at the familiar blue metal humanoid shape standing next to the charger. "Yeah, I guess," she remarked.

He gave the brown haired woman a wink. "It'd be better if it was red though." He grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and paused there for just a moment, apparently considering something.

Priss' lifted an eyebrow in response. "Red?"

"Probably just misses his car, the red Porsche," Lisa tried to reason. But when she was pulled from the table and started to be spun around towards the door she tried to grip both wheels of her wheelchair, but the cast on her right arm only allowed her to hold one of them. "I said I'm not done yet!" Her futile attempt was no match for the man's strength. "Bean!"

"It's okay. You can come back tomorrow," Priss said genuinely.

Lisa looked over at Priss with surprise, before a smile disarmed the blonde girl, finally relenting herself to Bean's help. "Count on it," she promised.

* * *

_~Neo Genom Tower, MegaTokyo, Japan~_

The elevator doors opened and caught Lisa by surprise. "This doesn't look like the floor for the infirmary ward," she noted confused. "Bean, what's going on?"

He silently wheeled her out of the elevator and continued straight in a very long person-sized corridor for nearly a full minute. But with every step he took, Lisa's nerves began to grow more and more wary. Finally he stopped at a set of doors to the right… which opened without any intervention on his or Lisa's part.

"Where are we going?" Lisa demanded. Her companion simply silently pushed her into a small plain room with a wall sized door on the other side. Once into the room, the smaller door slid closed behind them, precipitating the much larger door to slide open in front of them, its two halves easily twice as thick as the smaller one. And if she was troubled before, the sights in the cavernous room on the other side of the large doors terrified Lisa.

"Wha… what is this?"

Only a select few people in lab coats and measuring equipment scurried about the space, filled with numerous liquid filled tanks… tanks that contained various stages of development of humanoid forms within them. And around the tanks were banks of monitors, terminals and various other support equipment that the shocked girl had little hope of understanding.

Bean began to wheel Lisa into the enormous space when a well suited male began to walk towards them. "Ah, I see our guest has arrived," the large man spoke with his commanding voice. It was a voice that was familiar for some reason to the young woman. And once he was close enough to clearly see his face, her own face turned ghostly white.

"Chairman Rosencreutz!" Lisa Vanette found herself bowing in her wheelchair at the mere presence of the man in front of her.

"Now now, no need for formalities like that here, Ms. Vanette. Come, come, we have many things to discuss."

"Discuss? With me?" she squeaked.

"Why yes," he responded as he led them into the massive chamber and between the numerous banks of equipment. "First, let me welcome you to our Life Extension research laboratory. My apologies, but I asked your friend to bring you here without divulging your destination unnecessarily. Some things we prefer to keep less obvious to those in the tower who do not have a need to know. I'm sure you can understand why," Quincy added.

The awestruck girl simply nodded as her eyes darted from experiment to experiment as they continued towards the center of the enormous space. But as they neared the center, one tank in particular drew her attention as they approached it. A nearly complete female form floated in a clear blue tank, its reddish eyes unfocused as they peered into the aisle in front of her. A ring of familiarity hit Lisa as the strands of floating blonde hair above those eyes wisped in the weak currents of the tank. And as she continued to study the face, a name locked into place in her mind… _"… Aoede…"_

She uttered the single word just as Quincy and Bean both stopped in front of the lifeless body of the deactivated sotai… and consequently stopping the wheelchair bound woman as well. Quincy turned to the side talking at Lisa while allowing her to further inspect the boomer body. "When I heard of your quest to find the truth of your sister's death, I couldn't help but feel somewhat personally accountable. After all, it was through Genom's construction of the dragonline network that the boomer phenomenon was able to be transmitted from the tower and consequently into the monsters responsible for your sister's murder."

As he spoke, Quincy moved behind Lisa, replacing Bean on the handles of her wheelchair. "But I wanted to show you what was responsible for creating the phenomenon in the first place… the being that spread the disease that claimed your sister's life."

At first unnerved by the presence of the CEO and Chaiman of Genom directly before her, his words seemed to have a calming reasoning behind them. And the more he spoke of the phenomenon, the more Lisa's eyes were pulled into the body of the sotai before her… just as it began to glow inside the tank.

Consequently, she didn't see Quincy's eyes flash a greenish hue, nor did she recognize the resulting glow over her own body. Her own eyes flashed in multicolored hues as her breaths became rapid, shallow. Her limbs began to shake, fingers and toes twitching.

"Dr. Harland?" Quincy asked, speaking to no one immediately around him.

"The new anti-seed projection is even more focused than with the previous subject, Chairman." a voice answered into the cyborg's internal audio receptors.

"Excellent! Continue with phase two then," he replied.

Lisa's entire body began to glow a deep orange hue, pained grunts and moans emanating from deep within her chest. But a few moments later, the glow softened… and the previously crippled girl stood tall on both feet, straight up from the wheelchair, her eyes staring straight ahead, unblinking, unfocused. Immediately a lab coated technician scurried over and began taking measurements over the length of her body.

"Preliminary scans are all positive sir," he reported.

Quincy smiled at the results. "Very good," he spoke to the room and also to his audio link.

"Ready for phase three sir?" the voice on the other end of the link queried.

The tall suited man shook his head. "No Dr. Harland, I do not see it necessary to repeat that battery of tests on Ms. Vanette. However, I have a different task in mind for the two of them," he said turning to face both Bean and Lisa together.

"I simply need them to deliver a message for me... a very _special_ message," he smiled with a cruel twist of his mechanically enhanced facial features.

_To be continued…_

* * *

A/N: That Quincy is a bastard, isn't he…


	31. Ch 30: Still Alive

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 30 – "Still Alive"

* * *

_~Neo Genom Tower, MegaTokyo, Japan~_

Priss collapsed on her bed, flat on her back. One hand massaged her temple, trying to relieve her physical discomfort. Her other balled into a fist as she gripped the bed sheets tightly, attempting to relieve her frustration at yet more newly implanted memories that further clouded and confused her purpose.

_I thought about Linna and the others in that alley for days!_ _Why now? Why when Lisa was here? _she thought to herself. Priss took a deep breath, releasing her hold on both her head and the sheets to stretch her arms above her head. Closing her eyes, she mentally steeled herself and recalled those images again… the images of the other Knight Sabers and some sort of battle at a place she didn't recognize.

_Maybe it's Sylia's house?_ she thought the question to herself even as details of those memories came back into focus. Mackey's electrified body, Nene's flesh burning away, Sylia's crude hardsuit simply falling away from her beaten body … and then she contrasted that with the scene in the alley, Mackey apparently taking charge over Linna's hardsuit, Nene's hardsuit standing tall next to him, and Sylia's hardsuit blade cutting into her neck…

She gently touched her fingers to the sensitive skin around the scab now covering that cut, sighing as she resigned herself to yet another scar to add to her growing collection. Her thoughts dove back to the image of Sylia, having the life choked out of her by Aoede's armored hand, and yet still beating on the black hardsuit arm, still fighting back, tears raining down her face… _and then it happened again_.

A wave of pain tore into Priss' head as more images flooded into consciousness… images of a much younger Sylia pounding on a window, screaming hate at the growing sotai Galatea, screaming at her father to turn around and face her, screaming at the world to bring back her mother, screaming at everyone to leave her alone… and then Priss heard another voice scream in her head…

"_Help me!"_

"Aoede!" Priss loudly vocalized the one word as she shot up from the bed, throwing her legs off to the side as adrenaline poured through her body. The low buzzing that had been troubling her was now a roaring tide spurring her to act. Somehow, someway she knew had to get to the source of that scream.

Throwing on her shoes, she ran out the door of her 165th floor suite and towards the elevator. The only thing she knew for certain was that the source seemed to be below her, possibly in the tower, almost straight down from her suite. Beyond that, Priss decided to just trust her instincts, instincts that were warning her of an impending disaster…

* * *

In an interior room of the 165th floor, the intercom light blinked for attention, drawing Leon's attention away from his Navi… on which he was not so patently waiting for a call from a certain wheelchair bound girl.

"Now what?" he complained. He pounded the receive button of the intercom with a huff. "McNichol here, what is it this time?"

"There's a group here that wants to talk with your ward," the security supervisor's voice growled out his own annoyance through the intercom.

Leon swore in disdain. "I thought you guys were filtering this crap yourselves. And, it's 9:30 at night! C'mon!"

His supervisor was not amused with his tone in the least. "Leon, would you like to 'filter this crap' yourself to see how much of a pain in the ass your woman is? We have a full team just trying to answer all the requests for interviews, special investigations, foreign dignitaries… not to mention all the long-lost relatives of Ms. Asagiri that have suddenly turned up! Listen, we have a group here … wait a minute…"

The voice on the other end of the intercom paused just as Leon heard the whispers of a side discussion in the background. "What's wrong?" he asked.

After a few moments of silence, the annoyed supervisor's voice returned. "Any idea where Ms. Asagiri might be running off to tonight?"

"Running off? Wait, don't tell me…" he grumbled, shaking his head.

"She just entered elevator 2N… looks like she's headed towards the lower section of the tower…"

Leon didn't wait to hear anything else from the intercom. He grabbed his Navi and was out the door of his room as fast as his feet would take him.

* * *

_~MegaTokyo, Japan~_

"_This can't be right… it just… can't be right…"_

Beads of sweat trickled down Linna's forehead, dripping onto her shaking arms. Those arms gripped the NAVI tightly as it replayed the impossible scene one more time for the devastated country girl.

"_I joined the Knight Sabers at the request of Sylia Stingray two years ago. She provided me with a hardsuit in order to destroy rogue boomers… or, at least that's what she said…"_ The speakers of the NAVI cracked with sound while Linna inspected the small, grainy image along with the voice of the person she was told was Priss, inspecting for any sign that they were wrong and this nightmare wouldn't be true. But with every angry word the woman spoke, every bitter word spat out, Linna found herself less and less able to deny the truth of the situation.

"_Priss… why?"_

* * *

_~Neo Genom Tower, MegaTokyo, Japan~_

After a few minutes of wondering around the lowest levels of the tower, and trying not to look too lost, Priss found herself drawn to a small one piece metal door. However, there were no outward signs of any way to open it, and it was not opening on its own. Peering down either side of the hallway, she began to feel around the edges of the door to see if there might be a hidden panel of some sort. She found nothing… and then the door opened on its own.

Priss hunched as she took a step back, expecting the worst. However, other than the door opening, nothing happened. She peered inside and saw another empty room with a larger door on the other side. Focusing inward again, she felt pulled in the direction of that larger door. Thus, she cautiously stepped inside. Not as surprisingly, the door closed behind her as the large door, splitting in half vertically, opened in front of her. And as the large doors opened, she was able to see a literal expanse of filled tanks, equipment, and a few technicians working in the enormous space on the other side. And despite her unfamiliarity with everything in front of her, the 'noise' in her head ramped up, spurring her on even more. She purposely strode into the room, trying to appear as if she was supposed to be there just like everyone else. She kept her head facing forward, passing between the tanks filled with partially grown humanoid shapes, only her eyes flittering from side to side, trying to maintain her focus and locate the source of her implanted memories. Her approach seemed to go relatively unnoticed as none of the other technicians appeared to give her a second glance. Nearing the center of the large space, the discomfort in the back of her head grew to a full headache. Then a sharp pain in the base of her neck caused Priss to stumble briefly, forcing her to stop her walk as she wobbled to the side, momentarily resting against an instrumentation panel. But when she looked up, Priss realized she didn't need to walk any further… she had found the missing link of her puzzle.

_"…aoede…"_ she whispered, staring into the being grown from her own body, floating naked, lifelessly in a bulkier, more heavily fortified tank than any other in the room she had passed so far. The tank rested atop a massive supporting base full of tubes, valves, pumps, instruments and displays. But the more she inspected the equipment, a sickening sense of deja-vu swelled in the recesses of her memory. However, she didn't need the aid of an outside influence to recall the memories that crashed over the erected barriers in her mind…

Memories of the aftermath of her battle with Linna at the space umbrella came in torrents, sending waves of shudders through her torso. Memories of seemingly being pulled from the afterlife, waking to find her battered body floating in a tank, Linna's tearful face beaming back at her from the other side of the walls of that tank… and then memories of Galatea using her body, implanting the seed that would eventually grow into the being known as Aoede…

With that last connection made, Priss was able to still herself and refocus on Aoede's body instead. She inspected the hole in the sotai's chest, the spot of Linna's attack on the rogue boomer goddess. For some reason, the hole continued to draw her curiosity. Priss tried to recall how it had appeared when she returned from rescuing Leon, but she couldn't remember much of those details. The last thing she could remember was consoling Linna, telling her it was all over. Sometime after that, she had awoken inside the Neo Genom tower holding cell. What happened in-between was only what had been shown to her by Genom… and by Quincy.

Heavy footsteps from behind her caused Priss to remember that she wasn't exactly supposed to be there, further causing her to flinch even as she turned her body around to face whoever was approaching. And when she saw him, it took an enormous effort not to run at the sight of the person walking up to her.

"Hello Priscilla, we've been expecting you to visit here sooner or later," said the Genom CEO himself.

Priss managed to hold her tongue, but her face still filled with an alarmed quizzical expression nonetheless. Quincy appeared happy to answer those unasked questions for her, his face turning even more smug than usual.

"Given the bond you two have, our research team was certain that you might have a response to our testing."

That statement was more than Priss could resist responding to. "Testing?" she asked, short and direct.

"You see, what data we did have regarding the sotai phenomenon was mostly stored in the Tokyo Genom tower. Also, much of the data collected by Dr. Stingray that was presumably lost in the earthquake, which you helped to relocate, was brought into the tower by Mason. I believe you know what happened to the tower afterwards… in fact, probably better than anyone."

Priss' gaze drifted to the side, memories of the Genom tower ripped from its foundations and floating into space due to Galatea's influences burning in the back of her mind. At least, they were until the Genom chairman continued his explanations.

"Because of that data loss, we needed to try and recreate the necessary validation scripts for the new tower. When the original programming was put into place in the sotai, certain assumptions were made. Given what happened with the wizlab, and also the dragonline, we need to be certain what we have in place now will be sufficient."

The troubling sensation that had pulled her down into the lab in the first place was immediately brought back to the surface by his statement. Consequently, Priss' eyes narrowed as she glared into the large man. "Sufficient? Sufficient for what? She's dead, isn't she?" the former Knight Saber accentuated by pointing at the sotai's body.

"Deactivated, to be more precise," he clarified for her. "However there should have been no way to destroy the core of an original boomer so easily, as your comrade somehow managed to do. So we were, and continue to be, under the assumption that the phenomenon could restore the sotai's body at any moment."

"Restore? You mean, she's…" Priss' eyes widened at the implications, her gaze pulled back into the tank once more. Consequently, she didn't notice the momentary smirk on Quincy's face.

"Aoede may indeed become active again, which is why I am glad you are here now. There is something I've been meaning to discuss with you since the incident with Sylia and the rest of the Knight Sabers."

Priss' continued to stare at Aoede even as her thoughts were focused on Quincy the moment he mentioned her former leader's name. "So that's why you've kept me here."

"Kept you here?" Quincy asked rhetorically.

The former saber now turned to face him, looking up as she spoke directly. "You want me to help fight Sylia if and when she attacks you, right? That's what all this is about."

"To be blunt, no. We are concerned with the possibility of the rest of the Knight Sabers attempting to sabotage our operations here. However, to expect you to fight them, and especially considering that your very close friend might be part of the group now, would be asking too much of you, Priscilla my dear."

Priss somehow managed to check a growl in her throat at his apparent condescending tone towards her. "So then why am I still here?"

"As I mentioned before, I do feel somewhat responsible for your situation given that your former residence was crushed when this tower was created. I believe your normal means of transportation was also lost."

Priss' gaze shifted down at the mention of one of her crutches not available to her right now… freely riding the streets of the city aboard her bike.

"Yes, I understand that your motorcycle was very important to you. So, the least we can do is provide a substitute. I believe we have one ready for you in the vehicle bay when you are so inclined."

Priss maintained her silence; however the brief hints of a smile passed across her face at his words. Quincy noticed the hints.

"Good. So, as I mentioned, the least we can do is provide a place for you to stay, and a temporary means of transportation. And despite what you might believe, I do not wish to keep you here against your will. However, you might find a few barriers to you in the outside world right now. Primarily, you may have noticed the large gathering of people around the tower… fans of the sotai here?" he accentuated by stretching one arm upwards towards Aoede. "I am not certain how they will react to your presence in Tokyo... or for that matter, anywhere else in the world. Multiple countries are dealing with riots at the notion that their musical goddess is dead. It would not be surprising if they blamed you for this. So, I caution you to be careful if you do decide to foray out into the streets of MegaTokyo."

Priss stood silently, her gaze shifting between the floor and Aoede's prone form.

"One more matter I need to caution you about… and it does involve your former employer."

Rosencruetz's tone turned even more serious as he continued. "Another reason why we are still working under the idea of containment of the phenomenon is that there may yet be another being that can utilize the phenomenon, someone you might have recently had contact with."

Priss' eyes flared as she guessed the direction of the conversation.

"Yes, I believe you saw someone with the ability to manipulate a hardsuit externally. The only beings with those powers have the ability to control the phenomenon, and we suspect that Mackey Stingray may now have that ability… possibly due to contact with Aoede in Europe. Further substantiating our analysis is the fact that he along with the other Knight Sabers that you came in contact with were able to quickly sneak into Tokyo from Europe after our testimony. The only way we can imagine that happening is if someone had the ability to manipulate the will of the humans through use of the phenomenon."

"So Mackey…" Priss started to speak, her body tense, eyes boring a hole in the floor.

But just as Quincy was about to continue his explanation, his own eyes opened widely, his face turned to inspect the tank that contained Aoede. But instead of the lifeless shell that was previously present, he found crimson eyes staring back at him. And inside his cyborn mind, numerous mental communications were sparking between himself and his monitoring team. Another round of communications forced his attention back to the former Knight Saber.

And for her part, Priss seemed to sense the change as well, her brown eyes turned towards the sotai and froze. "Aoede!" The sotai appeared to respond to the call of her name.

One of the boomer's arms slowly, methodically lifted up, reaching outward… towards Priss. It reached the edge of the tank, pressing her palm against its surface, fingers outstretched. The tips of her fingers began to glow ever so softly, faintly.

The singer responded, taking two steps up to the tank, reaching upward with her own hand. It never made it there…

A sharp wave of pain crushed Priss as she collapsed to the ground, clutching the sides of her head with both hands. And then, a moment later it subsided. A few moments later, Priss steadied herself, looked upwards to Aoede, and found the boomer body inactive once more, her crimson eyes faded, unfocused, her arm lying limply by her side.

"Priscilla?" Quincy queried, stepping by her side, placing a hand on her arm in an effort to help her up… which she roughly shrugged off.

"I'm fine," she growled, standing up on two shaky legs while rubbing the back of her neck with her other arm even as she tucked in the arm touched by the Genom CEO as if she risked having it tainted by the plague.

A couple of technicians made their way over to their position with instruments in hand, to which Priss angrily stopped their unasked advances. "I said I'm fine!"

Quincy nodded to the two techs, and they turned around and returned back to their experiments. He then faced Priss with an air of certainty returning to his voice. "The sotai… she performed a memory transfer with you, correct?"

An unreadable expression passed over Priss, her eyes turning darker. "Yes."

"Was it regarding Mackey? Perhaps a memory of him attacking Aoede in Europe?"

The unreadable expression morphed into momentary shock, then understanding. She uttered out a quiet affirmation. "… yes…"

"We were concerned that this might be the case. Some of the data we were able to extract led us to a similar conclusion, which is why we are operating under the assumption that he, and the Knight Sabers, might very well try and finish what was started." Quincy was ready to continue his interpretation to Priss, but she did not appear to be in the mood to continue herself.

Priss turned away from Aoede and Quincy and began to walk back towards the entrance to the enormous space.

"Priscilla!" he called out, nearly commanding her to stop.

To which she momentarily did. "The vehicle bay, right?" she asked, answering his unfinished question.

The cyborg smirked in return. "Yes, I believe your security detail can help you with the logistics."

Priss wordlessly acknowledged his request by walking out of the space. And, just as she expected, Leon was waiting for her on the other side of the doors.

"Would you please tell me the next time…" he began to rant when she reappeared in the hallway. Priss wasn't the least bit in the mood for his rant.

"Shut up and show me where the vehicle bay is."

"The vehicle bay?

"They have a bike for me there."

"Oh."

Priss impatiently waited as Leon called into his supervisor for the details. Once he had them, Leon began to show her the way to the vehicle storage facility of Genom Tower.

"Would you mind telling me what happened? Why you ran off, and what had you so spooked when you came out of that space?" Leon asked.

"Not now," Priss answered evasively. There was much that she could have said, but little that Leon could understand in the short time she planned on being in the tower. Her nerves were screaming to get out, to run, to grab whatever bike she could find and tear off down the streets of MegaTokyo.

With all the information slammed into her mind in the last few minutes, she felt it would take the rest of the night riding the streets to work through all the thoughts, images, emotions and concerns now swirling inside her. But, at least one of her crutches might be available to her now. And that thought gave some amount of solace to the rogue Knight Saber as she strode into the bay, searching for the bike promised to her by none other than the Genom CEO himself. But with that thought came another main concern, the concern of just why he was really doing this for her.

As one of the bay mechanics standing next to a blue and red motorcycle waved to Leon, Priss shook her head as she thought just how far she would probably have to ride to figure out the truth behind that particular question…

* * *

_To be continued…_


	32. Ch 31: Sleepless Night

AFA Part 2

Falling from Grace

Ch. 31 – "Sleepless Night"

* * *

"Nene? Nene, are you in there?" Linna asked softly just after cracking the door open. This particular door happened to be the one that she thought her hurt friend was sleeping on the other side of… or, at least, that's what Sylia had told her. A familiar voice from the other side of the door appeared to confirm her thoughts.

"Linna?"

"Y… yes, its' me," she stammered nervously, still trying to sort out how to explain her actions of earlier in the evening.

Rustling of cloth preceded a short blond woman wrapped in a blanket materializing from the darkness of the room, shuffling to the cracked open door. The moment her eyes found Linna, a soft smile overcame the lingering effects of sleep on her. "Hey," she said genuinely before a concerned look overtook the smile. "Is something wrong?" she asked, opening the door to inspect her friend in the hallway.

Linna shook her head even as her eyes watered slightly. "No, nothing's…" she began to say before the low light from the hallway illuminated the previously darkened makeshift bedroom. Consequently, she caught a glimpse of the other person sleeping in the room, sans blanket… and as it turned out… sans clothes as well. Her violet eyes widened in discovery as she quickly realized Nene was only wearing the blanket around her body.

When Linna's face flushed beet red, Nene's head swiveled back to the inside of the room. "Ooops!" she whispered loudly. "Forgot we only have one blanket," she added very sheepishly. "Let me throw on some clothes. Be back in a sec!" she promised, quickly shutting the door as she scurried back into the room.

Linna took a step back from the door, one hand covering her mouth while one of her eyes twitched. Suddenly, a pained, almost angry expression overtook her face. "I'm gonna kill Sylia," she whispered to the empty hallway. She hadn't understood the sly grin that the silver haired woman had given her when describing how to find Nene's room. However, now she recognized exactly what the Knight Saber's leader had been attempting to do. With that realization came a grin of her own as well.

A gentle click precipitated the door opening again, a short blond dressed in a black t-shirt and plaid shorts quietly shuffled out and closed the door behind her. As soon as she turned around from the door Linna enveloped her in a strong hug, surprising Nene. "Hey!" she exclaimed at first, before quickly returning the hug.

"I'm sorry Nene, I… I shouldn't have treated you like that earlier," Linna said.

Nene felt tears soak into the fabric of her shirt, causing her to squeeze Linna even tighter. "It's okay. I can understand why you felt that way, especially considering what happened to you with Aoede."

"And Galatea," Linna murmured lowly with even more pained recollections on her mind. She released the shorter blonde, stepping back to give a good look over her. "But still, I should have known it was you, even before Sylia told me what happened to you in Switzerland."

"So she told you everything?" Nene asked.

"Well, she tried to explain what she knew. I still don't think I understand though, Sylia said you were dying, but Mackey, he was able to save you with… hardsuit parts? What…" she tried to ask through her confusion, still eyeing Nene curiously.

The former ADP dispatcher just smiled as she looked up into Linna's gaze with a strong, but pained expression. "Mackey's body was exploding with energy from the inside out, thanks to Aoede. He couldn't stop it, so I tried to grab onto him, to give him something to anchor his… essence to. I really didn't know why I did it, it just felt like all I could do for him in that moment. I felt… well, I've never felt anything like that before, and hope I never do again. I lost consciousness, thankfully, and when I woke up two days had passed. Instantly I knew something was very, very … different," she smiled, looking to the side in recollection.

"But really, I can't see that much of a difference. You look and act like the same Nene that I knew from before."

"Mackey said he was very careful to keep my outward appearance as normal as possible. He wanted me to be able to live like he had, among… well, among normal people. But still, there was so much that was different."

"How was it different?" Linna asked sincerely.

"Because it was if I was wearing my hardsuit," she explained, pointing with one finger to the side of her head, directly at her eyes. "I never expected to see a HUD without a helmet, or enhanced glasses or contacts. But, that's what I could see the first time I looked at Mackey standing over me. It only took a few more moments to realize just how much of my body had been modified, but before I could really panic about it Mackey leaned over and kissed me," she said, blushing. "And when I realized that he was alive… and that he was now himself… that's all I needed to know. But he still explained everything he had done to save my life, and just how much of the phenomenon he had utilized in order to achieve it."

"So that was why you… well," Linna paused, uncertain how to phrase her statement.

"Yeah, that's why I was glowing with a sotai-like power earlier. Because of the fusion process Mackey had to use, some of the anti-seed power was absorbed by my new body. So, I guess I can do a few more things now than I used to be able to do," Nene added somewhat wistfully.

Linna picked up on her tone. "I hope I didn't make you… I mean, you don't feel differently about your body after how I reacted earlier, do you?"

Nene bowed her head in response, before picking up her gaze and replying to Linna. "I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out exactly *what* I can do, and how to do it. It's not like this new body came with a manual or anything, " she giggled with a smile, which caused Linna to smile in return.

"I guess not. So, I suppose you and Mackey are pretty close now?" she changed subjects, asking with a blush.

Nene's cheeks reddened at the question. "Yeah, you could say that."

"I mean, it would have been nice if Sylia would have warned me about that earlier when she told me where you were sleeping."

"She didn't say anything about Mackey?"

"Um, no. I didn't think to ask either. I think she… maybe she wanted me to see the two of you together though," Linna said with one nervous hand held behind her head.

"What? Why?!" Nene said momentarily filled with embarrassment before remembering who they were talking about. "Oh, you think she's up to her old tricks again, trying to get a rise out of you?"

"Well, maybe a little. But I think she wanted me to see you two… together, like that, just to help me understand that I can trust both of you."

"And do you?" Nene asked hopeful.

Linna gave a sincere smile in return. "If that was what she was trying to do, it worked. I still remember just how much you two meant to each other when I came back from Kumamoto, and also right after Galatea was released. Even if both of you are different now on the outside, I know I can trust the love both of you have for each other. No sotai could ever fake that."

Nene's eyes misted up as she grabbed onto her teammate and squeezed her tightly. "Thank you Linna. You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that."

Linna returned her teammate's embrace, wrapping one arm around her body while her other hand nestled in her blond locks. "You're welcome, Nene. I've missed you," she added.

"I've missed you too."

The two women shared the warmth of their reacquainted friendship for a few precious moments before a low grumble caused them to separate, an embarrassed slant forming on Linna's mouth. "Umm.."

Nene gave her a knowing smile. "Hungry?"

"Starving, actually," she smiled, holding one hand over her stomach. "Honestly, I have no idea how long it's been since I had a real meal."

"C'mon, let's see what we have left for food in the kitchen," Nene said, guiding Linna through the sporadically lit hallways.

While following her shorter friend, a question came to Linna. "How have you been getting food anyway?" she asked.

"Jill and Katsumi have been going out and finding food in the recovered sections of the city."

"Finding it?"

"Well, more like 'borrowing'," she said with a soft laugh. "Jill has more of a direct approach for getting what we need, and Katsumi is always right there with her. And I've been helping Mackey with getting the building up and running. Sylia can't afford to be seen anywhere right now."

"Yeah, since she was the one implicated by the testimony."

Nene stopped at the base of a stairwell and turned to Linna with a cautious, almost pained expression. "I wanted to ask you a question… about Priss."

Linna paused, waiting for her friend to ask. But when the question didn't come right away, she reached out to her friend. "Go ahead," she replied, nervousness sifting through her voice.

"You were the last one to see her before… before she turned to Genom. Do you have any idea what might have caused her to do that? Did she say anything to you about Sylia?"

Before Linna could answer, her midsection rumbled again. "Mind if I get something to eat first? I'm not sure I want to tackle that topic on an empty stomach."

"No problem," Nene replied, leading Linna up the stairs and to the kitchen area.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, for which Linna was grateful for. At least it gave her a few more moments to try and sort out her thoughts about what could have had happened to her wayward teammate and lost friend.

* * *

"Stopping already?" Leon asked, still sitting on his own bike while watching Priss walk away from hers, and walking towards an open hole in the crumbling wall before them.

But Priss still wasn't in the talking mood. She continued to the person sized hole, turning on the flashlight she had taken from the Genom security team. Peering inside the hole for just a moment, she started to step through before Leon's voice halted her progress.

"Hey, wait up!" he shouted when he realized what Priss was doing. He turned off the engine of his bike, lifted up the seat and pulled out his own flashlight from the storage compartment underneath it. He quickly snapped on the light and hurried over to the hole himself.

As soon as Leon started walking towards her, Priss turned away from him and stepped through the hole. She flashed the beam around, inspecting the ruins on the other side before finding the path she was looking for and walking purposefully into the dark underground of old Tokyo.

Leon did his best to keep up with the plain dressed woman, keeping just behind her as she picked her way through the underground caverns. "Where are you going?" he asked. "I figured you would want to just ride, not go ruin-diving as soon as you got back on a bike."

If Priss was listening to him, she was doing her best to ignore his questions as she continued deeper into the maze of cracked concrete, crumbled roads, and shattered glass. She momentarily paused at the edge of another wall, peering into an oddly lit opening for just a moment before crawling through.

Leon cursed to himself as he followed just behind her on his hands and knees, finding this hole just barely large enough to fit his broad shoulders. Appearing on the other side, he had to shut his eyes for just a moment as the bright lights in the adjacent underground walkway temporarily blinded him. "What's going on?"

After his eyes adjusted to the brighter light, he saw Priss following the temporary lighting away from him. He broke into a light jog to catch up, taking note of the somewhat cleared passageway they now found themselves in. From what he could tell, this part of underground Tokyo had been recently explored for some reason.

After passing a vaguely familiar stairwell and a more familiar doorway, a sudden recognition coupled with a dreaded realization swept over Leon. He jumped ahead of Priss, blocking her path and staring down into her surprised face. "Just why the hell would you want to come back down here of all places? Don't you remember what happened to you the last time you were here!?"

Her eyebrows burrowed furiously as Priss swung the flashlight hard into the side of Leon's ribs. The hard plastic casing knocked him off balance causing him to stumble over against the wall as she stomped past him, leaving the big man painfully clutching his side in her wake.

"Dammit Priss, what the hell has gotten into you?" he coughed out, gingerly walking behind her while keeping his distance this time. "Just where … how the hell did you even find this place again?"

His words finally caused Priss to stop. She turned her head to the side, not fully facing him. "If I tell you will you shut the hell up?"

"Fine," he grunted out angrily, especially considering he didn't want to continue to be her punching bag for the evening.

"Aoede," she answered, then turned back to the lighted pathway and continued on.

Leon had to bite his lip to keep from screaming at her. Of course she knew her answer would bring up all sorts of new questions in his mind, which just served to further infuriate the former ADP officer. He continued to follow the former Knight Saber in silence for a few more minutes until she stopped at a branch from their path.

The brown haired woman stared into the dark path to the right for a few moments, then brought the beam of her flashlight to illuminate the unused pathway before she trudged away from the cleared section and into the darkness. Leon clicked on his own light and followed, trying to mentally guess as to where she was going. After making another turn down a debris filled corridor, Priss stopped at a large pile of rubble below a ragged opening in the ceiling above. Carefully placing her flashlight on the top of the rubble, Priss climbed to the top, then reached down and grabbed the light, tossing it through the opening before hauling herself into the space above.

Leon paused for just a second before hearing her footsteps walking away from him. He quickly climbed up the rubble and hauled himself through the opening, just catching a glimpse of Priss turning left into another corridor He stopped himself from yelling out to her, instead quickly but carefully striding to catch up with Priss. Turning the corner he nearly ran into the back of the woman he was chasing.

Priss was stopped in front of another tall pile of concrete rubble, her flashlight strangely fixated on a shiny, metal object lying on the ground next to it.

Leon noticed Priss' light seemed to be shaking, which caused him to lift his own light to check on her. He was certain he caught a shiver pass through the woman as Priss brought one arm across her body, clutching herself tightly even as she tried to focus on the jagged object on the ground. "Priss? Are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

His touch caused Priss to flinch, which in turn caused Leon to flinch, fearing she would spin around and attack him again. Instead, he felt her tense muscles relax as Priss moved her hand up over the top of his, squeezing it reassuringly. "Yeah, thanks," she spoke with a strange sense of sincerity… at least strange to Leon.

"Is this… is this what you came down here to find?" he asked, still unsure of her motives.

Priss turned around and walked past Leon and turned back towards the opening in the floor. "No," she replied, turning right and disappearing down the dark corridor.

Curiosity got the better of Leon as he brought his light down on the shiny object, inspecting it for a clue as to what caused Priss to react that way. He leaned down and noticed several other small shiny objects, green objects that began to stir memories in the back of his mind. Suddenly the color of the objects hit a cord, triggering an image of a certain green colored hardsuit. The clues of the puzzle began to click into place just as he caught glimpse of another object next to the green metal ones. He picked up the end of a shattered clear tube, and held it up for closer inspection.

"It looks… almost like part of a hardsuit battery."

* * *

"Ow ow ow!," Linna complained, one arm reaching over her shoulder as the other arm folder underneath, trying to comfort the sudden spasm.

"What's wrong?" Nene asked worriedly, dropping her pre-prepared sandwich on the table as she inspected her complaining friend.

Linna arched her back for a few more seconds, before the grimace across her face relaxed. "Just, just a back spasm I guess," she answered.

"Here let me help," Nene said, standing up from her chair and walking around the table in the kitchen area. She cautiously placed one hand on Linna's back. "It this where it hurts?"

"Just a bit lower," Linna replied from her chair. She brought her hands to her lap, balling them into fists as she peered nervously from of the corner of her eye.

Nene's hand shifted a bit and then began to glow softly over the taut muscle.

Instantly Linna's hands relaxed and a serene calmness flowed through her body as the spasm dissipated. "Thanks Nene."

The blonde gave her a confident smile as she returned to her seat. "At least I can do something for you."

"Give yourself a little more credit!" Linna exclaimed. "I'm sure you can do a lot more than just that."

Nene let out a sigh. "That's not what I meant."

"Huh?" Linna said, confused.

Pained eyes begging for understanding looked back at her. "I was just wishing I could do something to help you with Priss."

"Oh." Linna in turn stared down at her sandwich, eyes unable to meet Nene's as she feared she would have to address the question asked earlier. Her instincts weren't wrong.

"So, can you tell me anything at all that might help explain why she did what she did?"

The country girl flinched as soon as Nene began speaking. "I… I really don't have an idea. I've been struggling with… I mean… I barely even spoke to her at all before everything went to hell!"

"So, what happened? I heard you had left Kumamoto to go find Priss, but why did she go to back to Tokyo?"

"I guess I'd better start from the beginning then," Linna sighed deeply. She told Nene about Priss' recovery stalling out, her gift of a bike, and then getting a call from someone who she thought was Priss, going to Tokyo, and the events at Hot Legs…

"She kissed you?! Aoede kissed you?!" Nene shouted, standing straight up from the chair and pounding both hands on the table.

"Um, yeah, she did…" Linna blushed slightly, forgetting just how her friend would react to some of the more sordid details of those events.

"But why? Why on earth would she do that?"

"I guess, she said something about wanting to return the favor, I think."

"Favor? What favor?"

"Oh, that's right. You probably never heard those, um, stories about Galatea."

"Galatea? Oh dear god, what are you talking about Linna?

"Yeah, well, remember when Galatea had caught me? Just before, well, before… Mackey…" she paused, uncertain just how to word the horrible events of that night nearly a year previous.

"You mean… when she used Mackey to rip the data from Nigel's mind?!"

"Um, yeah. That. Well, I… I guess I was pretty drunk. Galatea showed up at the store we were raiding, and… I, well, I… hell, I didn't know it was her!" she suddenly yelled out defensively, crossing her arms, her face turning beet red.

Nene stared at her friend, slumping back in her seat as the wheels turned in her mind, trying to make sense of the clues. "So what exactly did you mean by favor? And what does Aoede have to do with Gala… wait a minute… Mackey said that Aoede had absorbed Galatea's memories… which means she would know exactly what happened in the store… and then she kissed you at Hot Legs… but you were drunk in that store and didn't… you didn't know it was her… you… you… tell me you didn't… Linna, please tell me you didn't do what I think you did," she punctuated by smacking her forehead with one hand.

All the brown haired woman could do was bow her head in shame. "… i did…" she murmured.

"You kissed her! You kissed Galatea?!"

"… yes…"

"Why the hell would you do that?!"

"I told you! I was drunk, and… I didn't know it was her! I mean, she looked a lot like Sylia…" she was rambling so hard the last part came out completely without thought, and instantly Linna regretted the statement, slapping one hand over her mouth to try and stop her words from further spilling out. But Nene was quick to notice…

"Sylia! Linna, what are you talking about now? Oh… oh dear god… don't tell me you had a crush on Sylia too?!"

"What? No! No no no, I do NOT have a crush on Sylia!"

"That's too bad," a very familiar femine voice acting in a very sad, painful way flittered across the kitchen area to where the two women were seated.

"Sylia!" Nene exclaimed as her head quickly turned to the silver haired woman standing in the open doorway.

For her part, Linna tried to bury her face in her hands. _"…this isn't happening…"_ she mumbled.

"Oh but it is my dear, it is," Sylia reassured her by walking over behind the country girl, placing her warm hands on Linna's shoulders and gently beginning to massage them.

The moment she felt Sylia's hands on her body, Linna's head shot out of her hands, her body involuntarily sitting straight up in the chair.

She leaned over and whispered softly into her ear. "You know, if you really wanted a make-out session with me, all you had to do was ask."

Nene's eyebrows began to twitch as her cheeks flushed in response to the two women on the other side of the table.

However, if Nene was flustered, then Linna was in complete shock at Sylia's actions, her violet eyes opened wide, shaking arms locked at her sides, her entire upper body shining bright red.

Sylia finished the gesture with a soft kiss on Linna's neck, just below her earlobe, then moved around to an empty chair at the table and took a seat with a very sly, satisfied grin glowing on her face. "Now, just what did all this have to do with Priss anyway?"

Neither woman answered right away. Nene might have been able to except she was much too preoccupied watching Linna. That was because Linna's face had already turned multiple shades of red before finally glowing white hot after Sylia's kiss. And that was a prelude to her eyes rolling in the back of her head, her body falling limply on the table with a thud, passed out cold.

* * *

If there was one thing Quincy could not tolerate, it was uncertainty. And as certain as he had been about his plans before, the earlier events of the evening had managed to knock his confidence in those plans slightly off kilter. Testing the projection of the phenomenon through the new developing anti-seed worked well enough… at first. But when attempting to implant suggestions into the former Knight Saber, things didn't go quite as smoothly as planned. It appeared as if the intended message had been delivered, however the timing of the transfer, and Priss' reaction to them hadn't been as expected. Most troubling, the research team still hadn't been able to pinpoint just why so much data had been transferred through the medium as compared to their pre-analysis predictions.

With thoughts of the possible ramifications calculating in his mind, he sat at his desk, hands clasped calmly in his lap, eyes closed, head leaned back slightly. If anyone had walked into the chairman's office, they might assume he was asleep. However, sleep wasn't something that his current cyborg body required as much as humans did, but some rest was recommended… at least by Harland's support staff. But there was much more he needed to accomplish in a short amount of time. Thus sleep was something that held a much lower priority for him at the moment.

A soft, repeating beep from the imbedded console in his desk forced Quincy's eyes open. A holo display activated above the desk, showing the face of a dark skinned man in a suit and tie, the logo of the corporate offices of Genom Europe displayed in the corner of the screen. "Yes?" Quincy spoke to the image with more than a hint of disapproval in his voice.

"My apologies Chairman, I had assumed you would be sleeping since it is nearly 4 a.m. in Tokyo. If I had realized you were still awake, I would have responded immediately to your request."

"Enough groveling Mr. Jameson, I really do not have the time for it right now."

"Yes sir, of course," he apologized again, bowing deeply at the camera before snapping upright. "You wanted more information regarding the outcome of the frontier planet development program, correct?"

"I've read the summary and the detailed findings already, Mr. Jameson," Quincy said. "However, why did you leave out mention of a sotai influence on the projections? I assume given that the reports were generated post Galatea and especially after the Battery incident, the sotai influence would be included."

The suited man snarled to the side, vainly attempting to hide his disdain. "After what happened with Hollis at the Battery, there was no reason to include those projections in the final reports, sir. Any use of the sotai would have been pointless."

"Perhaps to you," Quincy boomed loudly through the video connection, even managing to startle Jameson half a planet away. "However, I wish you to humor me Mr. Jameson. I am fairly certain you had included those projections in the report previously. I am sure Hollis would have pushed for it, after all."

"But Hollis was killed by the sotai! By the phenomenon!"

"And Hollis was a bloody idiot who had no idea how to handle a true sotai," the true Chairman spoke calm and evenly, shifting into English to drive the point home. "He had no vision, no real ideals for the true nature of the phenomenon. His only concern was for the Euro's he could generate and the stock price he could command. His death was inevitable the moment he decided to come in contact with the sotai."

"But sir, even if we included the projections…"

"You are assuming we would have no more control over the phenomenon than before, correct? And that there would be no reason to include something in our projections that cannot be guaranteed to succeed?"

"Well, not entirely…"

"And Mr. Jameson, what do your projections of the promise for frontier planet exploration surmise regarding the use of boomers alone? And even with the slave units used by the deep sea experiments?" Of course, Quincy already knew the answers to those questions as he had already read the reports.

"Very limited chances, sir."

"And if the sotai influence was able to be brought to bear?"

"Chairman… I really…" the dark skinned European man began, before a resigned expression softened his stance. "… in all our simulations, it was shown that direct use of a sotai in the frontier worlds nearly guaranteed successful settlements. In fact, if it were possible to… create more… multiple sotais were shown to have the greatest impact."

"Multiple?" Quincy's eyebrow rose with the question. "Mr. Jameson, I trust that you can recover your reports, correct?"

"Of course, Chairman."

"Very good. Very, very good. Please see that you do. I want them sent to me by 7 a.m. Tokyo time," he ordered, his voice shifting back to his commanding Japanese, with the appropriate emphasis on the timing required.

"Yes Chairman!" Mr. Jameson answered, picking up on the directness.

"And, Mr. Jameson, please keep this matter as top secret. Leave the published report as is. Only send the old reports directly to my office."

The suited man bowed in acknowledgement and ended the connection, leaving Quincy to contemplate the ramifications. With those ramifications came evaluations of Aoede's effectiveness, which quickly shifted to recollections of earlier events.

Quincy gave a mental command, illuminating a map on his holo display. A single blue dot lit up in an area he knew well. A smirk crossed the cyborg's face. "I was wondering how long until she visited that site…"

* * *

Leon fought back a yawn even as he tracked the footprints down one more corridor. He turned a corner and found a large open space, a parking garage from the looks of the cars littered around the area. The footprints led to one car in particular, causing Leon to bring his light up to illuminate the automobile from a short distance away.

A very dusty four door sedan shone in the darkness. Its tint was probably white once upon a time, but now appeared more gray in color due to the dirt and dust. It appeared to be in good condition still, the overhead ceiling still somehow intact above it. Most of the windows appeared to still be in one piece. As Leon drew closer to the car, he realized the footprints ended at the rear passenger side door. And that was exactly where he found Priss.

Walking up to the door, the glass was broken out of it. He couldn't tell if Priss had done it to get inside the car, or if the glass was already broken. What he could tell nearly stopped his heart. Priss was seated with her legs drawn up to her chest, head facing straight ahead, quiet sniffling sounds wisping through the opening.

"Priss?"

Her widened eyes darted up to his, momentarily surprised. Then wordlessly, her focus returned back to the seat in front of her.

Leon realized her whole body appeared to be almost shivering. He stopped himself from asking another pointless question, instead trying to piece together the clues that he had. The instant her eyes met his, he saw something. It was a look he had seen before, but not necessarily with Priss. It wasn't the same horrified glazed over appearance he had found her at here before… here at the wizlab… here, the birthplace and rebirth of Galatea. No, her eyes spoke of a different sort of pain this time. The pain of loss, the pain of desperation, the pain of lonliness… and that's when it hit him.

He was at the parking garage of the Wizlab, and Priss was focused on a car at the Wizlab… likely driven by someone who didn't survive the event, whether it was the earthquake… or the events that led to the use of the earthquake device. And if that someone happened to have worked at the Wizlab, then it was also very possible that the identity of that person should have been known by the daughter of the prime researcher of the lab. It all made sense now…

Leon turned the light off and leaned down to the window. He spoke with calm, even words to Priss… a tone practiced over many times while helping her recover from the ordeals of dealing with Galatea the first time around. And, here he was, trying to help her though the child-god's torturous rampage once again.

"Priss? Priss, is this… is this your father's car?"

* * *

_To be continued…_


End file.
